


Darla Gets Lost in Paris

by PerkyGoth14



Category: Madeline - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-12
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 01:32:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 22,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9298232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PerkyGoth14/pseuds/PerkyGoth14
Summary: Darla and Amber get a letter from Madeline after their first adventure together and the plucky redheaded girl insists that the two come visit Miss Clavel's school. Coincidentally, Cherry is visiting her old friend named Charlotte who happens to be Miss Clavel's niece, so they all go together, but an adventure is in store when Madeline hears from her long-lost Uncle Horst.





	1. Chapter 1

Darla sighed as she waited on the front porch with Amber and Maisy. This seemed to take forever, until finally, the letter carrier came by with the mail.

"Hello there, girls." the mailman greeted.

"Hey!" Darla beamed. "Any mail from Paris?!"

"This time, yes." The mailman said.

"Yay!" the girls cheered and took the letter from Paris and zipped inside the house, zipped upstairs, came into Darla's bedroom and shut the door.

"I wanna read it!" Amber begged.

"No, no, it's my mail, I'll read it!" Darla stood on top of her bed to take the letter out of Amber's reach.

"Oh, come on!" Amber complained.

Darla then opened the envelope.

"Hiyah!" Amber then tackled Darla on her bed.

Atticus and Cherry walked in as the best friends fought over the letter.

"It's mine!" Darla groaned.

"I have a right to read it as much as you do!" Amber argued.

"Why are you two arguing?" Cherry asked.

Atticus took the mail away from the little girls.

"I got a letter from Madeline in Paris and I wanna read it first." Darla said.

"I should read it first!" Amber retorted. "I knew Madeline longer than you have!"

"But she chose me as her pen pal!" Darla glared.

"I'll read it to the both of you." Atticus said.

"Okay..." the girls said.

Cherry rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I don't have time for this, I gotta pack for Paris to meet MY old friend, Charlotte." she then walked off out of the room.

Atticus took the letter out of the envelope and read it. "'Dear Darla and Amber, I have missed you both so much since our first meeting and I was saddened for you both to go back to your homes in America. You really must come back to visit sometime soon, the other girls miss you too, even Miss Clavel misses you guys and even Genevieve. I hope this letter comes to you all safely and you come to France again real soon. Yours fairly and truly, Madeline Fogg'."

"Aw!" The girls smiled.

Atticus smiled back to them. "So glad that you and Madeline are all friends."

"Yeah, we wish we could go to school with her, but she's all the way in Paris of course." Darla said.

"If only there was a way we could go to Paris..." Amber sighed.

Patch soon came in with a timer on his head and where it soon went off as soon as the girls realized they had magic to bring them there.

"Magic!" Darla and Amber then remembered.

Atticus chuckled to his little sister and her best friend. "Hey, Cherry is going to Paris herself, maybe you guys would like to join her?"

"Yeah and maybe you could come with us." Darla smiled up at her big brother.

"Oh, girls, I couldn't impose..." Atticus smiled back.

"Aw, come on, you're like a big brother to me too." Amber pried.

"Well, if you put it that way..." Atticus said before zipping and coming back with luggage packed with his passport. "I guess I could help you girls settle in and say hi to Madeline and the other little girls again."

"Yay!" The girls cheered.

Atticus smiled to their excitement.

One day at the airport...

Cherry was going there and was in line to get on the plane to Paris, she smiled as she thought she was going to have a relaxing vacation away from usual adventures for a little while, but then saw Atticus coming with Darla and Amber. "This is not going to be a relaxing vacation." She then sighed.

"Hey, Cherry, we're going to Paris too!" Darla smiled.

"That's nice..." Cherry replied flatly.

"What's wrong?" Atticus asked.

"If you're here, then something crazy is going to happen." Cherry replied.

"Oh, come on, maybe it won't." Amber said.

"Maybe it will..." Cherry replied as she gave her passport.

The person stamped it and let her go on the plane and did the same for Atticus, Darla, and Amber. Atticus soon heard something going on with one of the engines on one of the wings of the plane. Cherry was on her way.

"Uh, let me handle this, Cherry." Atticus came in front of her.

"Ladies first, Atticus Dorko." Cherry glared.

The engine started to go red as something or someone was using heat vision from the ground underneath it.

"Excuse me just a moment." Atticus said and zipped off.

"Oh, well, at least Drell's not here." Cherry shrugged to herself.

Atticus soon attacked the one who was heating up the engine before he cooled it down with his super freezing breath so it wouldn't overheat when they would take off. "You're not ruining my Parisian vacation." he glared to the ones who tried to overheat the plane as he came back.

Everyone then got into the plane and were eager to visit Paris, France. The pilots warned everyone to dress warmly as it would be snowing in Paris soon and told everybody about the estimated length of the flight which would be quite a while since it was another country and all. Atticus soon saw it was Non and where Sombra was behind him in the shadows of the plane. He yelled out, but then took another look and shivered.

"Something on the wing of the plane?" Cherry taunted as she was reading a book to pass the time on the flight.

Non soon grabbed Atticus into a super bear hug, thinking he could crush his bones.

"Silly boy..." Cherry replied as she wasn't paying attention.

"Let go!" Atticus growled and fought back.

Non began to tighten his grip and wasn't going to plan on letting him go. Atticus snarled and then beat him back. Non then vanished as Cherry looked over and Atticus was in his seat, punching the air now until he accidentally hit her cheek.

"OW!" Cherry yelped and then glared. "ATTICUS, WHAT THE HECK?!"

"Shhh!" the flight attendant told her.

"I'm so sorry about that, Cherry." Atticus said.

"Ow, man!" Cherry rubbed her face and winced. "Gah, that stings!"

Atticus magicked up an ice pack and put it on her wound. "Better?"

"Yeah, now tell me; why the heck did you hit me?" Cherry asked.

"I saw Non, he was right here." Atticus explained.

Cherry narrowed her eyes as no one was around them.

"He was right here! Didn't you see him?!" Atticus panicked.

"Okay, I'm going to Music Land, call me when you're sane." Cherry put on her headphones.

"Atticus, I think Uncle Sombra might have used his magic to send you in your seat." Darla said as she saw Non and Sombra outside.

"You see them too?" Atticus asked in relief.

Darla pointed out the window. Sombra and Non laughed wickedly as they were on the wing on the plane like in the infamous Twilight Zone episode. Atticus was ready to fight them only for him to see them teleported away thanks to Sombra's magic. Cherry fell asleep with her music with the ice pack on her face.

"They got away." Atticus groaned.

Darla frowned as she hoped for the best for Atticus.

"I'm watching you two..." Atticus sneered. "Do you hear me, Uncle Sombra? WATCHING!"

"Shh!" The flight attendants told him.

"Sorry." Atticus whispered quietly.

"I hope Sombra doesn't appear everywhere Atticus looks." Amber whispered.

"Same here." Darla whispered back in agreement.

Atticus soon got sleepy and then fell asleep on the plane.

"Whew, he's going to sleep." Darla whispered.

"I'm right behind him." Amber said sleepily.

Darla giggled to her best friend. "Amber..."

Amber and Darla soon went to sleep. It was now a peaceful time on the plane for everyone and where it would be smooth sailing. Atticus was still wary, but so far, the rest of the plane ride was normal.


	2. Chapter 2

In Paris, France, there was a golden blonde girl with short hair who was waiting for Cherry to arrive, then looked to Miss Clavel with her students. 

"Auntie Clara?" the blonde girl asked.

"Oh, Charlotte, zhis is a vunderful surprise!" Miss Clavel smiled to the blonde girl.

"It most certainly is." Charlotte smiled.

The two shared a hug.

"Girls, zhis is my niece, Charlotte, I have not seen her in oh-so long." Miss Clavel told her students.

"Bonjour, Charlotte~" the girls greeted her.

"Bonjour, girls." Charlotte smiled.

Miss Clavel smiled.

"I am waiting for my old friend Cerise from America." Charlotte told them why she was at the airport.

"I'm waiting for my friends Darla and Amber." Madeline smiled.

The little girls smiled in agreement.

Miss Clavel sneezed, but then smiled. "Excuse moi."

Soon enough, the plane landed.

"Zhe plane! Zhe plane!" one of Miss Clavel's girls called.

The girls gathered around and the people on the plane from America were boarding off after a very long flight. All the girls started to wait to see Darla and Amber get off. Darla looked around until her name was called and she then smiled once she saw the French girls she was now close with. The girls rushed over and hugged Darla and Amber and greeted her as Cherry met up with Charlotte.

"So nice to see you again." Miss Clavel smiled to Darla and Amber.

"It's nice to see you all again too." Darla and Amber smiled.

"Miss Clavel, could Darla and Amber stay at school vith us?" Yvette asked.

"Oh, please!!" the other girls begged.

"If zhat is okay vith Atticus." Miss Clavel smiled.

"It's alright with me." Atticus said.

"Very vell then, let's get you all settled in," Miss Clavel smiled before sneezing again. "Oh, excuse moi, my allergies must be acting up."

"You have been sneezing for a vhile, Miss Clavel." Madeline pointed out in worry.

"She has?" Amber asked out of concern.

"I am fine, really." Miss Clavel smiled before coughing weakly.

Atticus soon went up to Miss Clavel before feeling her forehead. He could feel that she was quite warm. "We better call the doctor."

"Oui, oui, Auntie Clara." Charlotte agreed.

"Yeah." Cherry also nodded.

Miss Clavel led her girls out of the airport as they went with Cherry, Atticus, Darla, Amber, and Charlotte back to their boarding school. They soon called the doctor. Atticus sent Miss Clavel straight to bed just to make sure and she could barely stand up now.

"You would be a great doctor, Atticus." Amber said.

"Thanks, Amber, but I'm aiming for detective." Atticus smiled.

"It's true." Darla said.

"You do not have to do zhis." Miss Clavel told Atticus.

"Yes, I do, now you need to rest." Atticus said.

Miss Clavel then sighed as she turned over in her bed to get some rest until the doctor would show up.

"You are unvell, Miss Clavel." Madeline frowned.

"Do not worry, girls, I vill feel better toot sweet." Miss Clavel reassured before letting out a nasty sneeze.

Genevieve whimpered as she looked worried for the woman as well.

"All we can do now is wait for the doctor." Cherry said.

"We called him." Monique nodded.

Mrs. Murphy was making some nice hot soup to give to Miss Clavel while the doctor was on his way.

"I'm sure the hot soup will help." Darla said.

"Be careful." Mrs. Murphy warned the girls about carrying the soup.

"We will." Amber assured.

Miss Clavel was in her bed as the doctor was by her side and the girls came to comfort their headmistress. "Merci, girls," she smiled as she took the soup gently from Madeline. "Vhat ever vould I do vithout you?"

"Oh, this is not good," the doctor shook his head at the thermometer results. "You must stay in bed."

"But, my girls..." Miss Clavel frowned to the girls who needed to be looked after.

"I can look after them for you." Atticus volunteered.

"They can also help look after you." the doctor agreed.

There was then music heard which gave Miss Clavel a headache.

"I don't think the music is helping." Cherry said.

"It's coming from next door." the doctor noticed.

"Pepito!" Madeline called from out the window to the son of the Spanish ambassador who was practicing violin.

"Who?" Cherry asked.

"He's the son of the Spanish ambassador." Darla replied.

"Is he annoying?" Atticus asked.

"Sometimes," Amber replied. "Let Madeline handle this though." She then smirked since Madeline was closer with the boy than the others.

The rest of the girls agreed.

"Hola, Madeline!" Pepito called to the French girl he was friends with now. 

"Vhat are you doing?" Madeline asked.

"Mama insists I learn to play the violin." Pepito replied.

"Pepito, Miss Clavel is not well," Madeline told the son of the Spanish Ambassador who lived next door. "Your music is hurting her head!"

"Oh..." Pepito pouted before getting an idea. "Perfecto! I will tell Mama, no violin until Miss Clavel is better." he then put up his instrument and went to tell his mother that he couldn't play until the mistress of the boarding school would feel better.

"Well, that was resolved quickly." Darla smiled.

"Keep her warm and give her love," Dr. Cohn told the girls. "She will recover soon enough."

"Oh, poor Auntie Clara..." Charlotte hugged her poor sick aunt.

"Don't worry, Charlotte; Atticus is here, he'll be able to help." Cherry assured her.

"Gee, thanks..." Atticus replied.

"You're welcome." Cherry replied back.

"Merci, Dr. Cohn!" Madeline and the other school girls called out as the doctor left to go back to the hospital.

Darla and the girls then started to tuck in Miss Clavel's blanket so she wouldn't get cold. "There you go, all tucked in." She smiled to Miss Clavel.

"Miss Clavel, you may play with my marbles," Yvette offered as she took out a bag. "They will cheer you up!"

"Thank you, mon petite, but you keep them," Miss Clavel replied. "I know how you treasure them. Do not worry, mes enfant... You make me 'appy, tomorrow, I will be better and I will take care of you." she then suddenly coughed sickly before falling asleep.

"Come on, girls, let's let Miss Clavel sleep." Atticus whispered before he and the girls left the room quietly as Darla turned off the light and they closed the door behind them. He smiled to his little sister as he then left with her and the others.

Charlotte was a bit worried, but Cherry did her best to soothe her since they were good friends and all. 

"Don't worry, your aunt will be fine." Cherry coaxed.

"Merci, Cerise." Charlotte said softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Later that night, the girls didn't seem to get any rest, especially since they were worried about Miss Clavel and where Maisy and Patch were in their room worried for the same reason.

"What more can we do for Miss Clavel?" Madeline pondered.

"Papa reads books to me when I am sick." Chloe smiled in memory. 

"Grandmama makes me her special onion soup." Yvette added.

"Maman comes home late from her performances, but we still play with my dolls." Danielle input.

Darla and Madeline both soon sighed.

"I remember..." Madeline said softly as she pet Genevieve. "Maman would let me stay in her bed and brush my hair... She let me wear the necklace Papa gave her when they first met... But not anymore..."

"I remember when my biological mother used to read me The Frog Prince whenever I was restless." Darla frowned as she pet Maisy.

Madeline gave Darla a hug in sympathy before looking back to the other girls. "At least you all still 'ave your families... Even you, Darla, you 'ave a new family."

"I know, but I still miss my mommy..." Darla replied softly about her birth mother.

"I 'ave no one now..." Madeline bowed her head as she could relate to Darla's backstory, even though Darla had a new family, but she was a lonely orphan.

Patch began to nuzzle up to Darla and Madeline as his way of comforting them.

"Poor Madeline and Darla..." Yvette began to cry.

"No families..." Chloe added.

"'Ow sad!" Danielle sniffled.

The little girls then all began to cry as Darla and Madeline hung their heads and where Miss Clavel, Atticus, and Cherry soon heard the girls crying.

"Girls?" Atticus's voice asked before coming to the door with Cherry. Miss Clavel also came to the door.

"We are sorry, Miss Clavel," Madeline frowned. 

"We are feeling sad because poor Madeline has no family and Darla lost her blood family." Yvette sniffled.

Maisy nodded out of sadness.

"Oh, mes enfants," Miss Clavel soothed. "Do not forget, we are not only far away from family, but we can be one with each other."

"That's right." Atticus nodded.

"Families come in all shapes and sizes." Miss Clavel continued with a smile. 

"Is it the same, Miss Clavel?" Madeline asked before shaking her head. "I do not think so."

"Darla, think about when we adopted you," Atticus said to his little sister. "We may not be blood related, but I look after you and protect you like a real big brother would, don't I?"

"That is true." Darla nodded before getting tickled by Atticus as he always knew that was one of the ways to cheer her up.

"Who's my little sis?" Atticus smirked.

"I am!" Darla giggled from the tickling.

"And besides, what do you guys say before every meal?" Cherry then reminded.

"'We love our bread'..." Miss Clavel began.

"'We love our butter, but most of all, we love each other'." the other girls continued.

"That's right." Atticus nodded as he stopped tickling Darla who was feeling much happier.

Darla smiled up to Atticus and he smiled back to her.

"Perhaps it is so..." Madeline sighed as she still missed her parents very much.

"I know it is." Miss Clavel soothed with a smile.

"Oh, Aunt Clara, you should go back to bed..." Charlotte suggested. "You are sick after all."

"She's right, Miss Clavel." Atticus said.

"And then where will we be?" Chloe asked.

The girls then urged for their headmistress to go back to bed to get better.

"I will go to bed if you go to bed." Miss Clavel smiled to her girls.

"That sounds like a good compromise." Atticus smiled.

The girls then smiled back as they went back to their beds. Once in their beds, the girls yawned and felt tired instantly. Miss Clavel then left to go to sleep and Atticus walked with Cherry back to their spare room as a deal was a deal.

"Will you have sweet dreams if we 'ave sweet dreams?" Madeline asked.

"Oui, mon cherie." Miss Clavel smiled.

The girls each soon closed their eyes and went to sleep. The rest of the night was peaceful for the most part and morning came sooner than anyone would know or realize.


	4. Chapter 4

As the morning arrived, so did the postman with a letter. Maisy came outside with Genevieve and Patch as the mailman came and he tossed an envelope to the boarding school. 

"I got it! I got it!" Genevieve yipped before hopping in the air and then caught the letter in her mouth.

"Nice catch, Genevieve." Patch smiled.

Genevieve smiled back as she came in with the letter.

Darla smiled as she put on her temporary school girl uniform. "Ah, I bet I look just like Nana Charlotte did when she went to school here."

"I just love these uniforms." Amber smiled as she twirled while Darla put on her brooch which had the Silver Crystal inside.

"They are rather photogenic." Darla agreed.

The girls soon went with Atticus and Cherry to check on Miss Clavel. 

"Your brooch looks really great with your dress, Darla." Atticus smiled.

"Thanks, Atticus." Darla smiled back.

The girls then all came together to check on the headmistress of the school. "Bonjour, Miss Clavel~" 

"How are you feeling, ma'am?" Amber smiled.

"Much better, mon petite, merci." Miss Clavel smiled back with a nod.

"That's good." Atticus smiled.

Genevieve then came in with the letter for the woman.

"Ooh, Genevieve has a letter." Charlotte cooed.

Miss Clavel accepted the letter and took it out of the envelope as the dog then returned to the girls with a smile.

"Good girl, Genevieve." Darla smiled.

"Ooh, la la!" Miss Clavel gasped.

"An announcement?" Chloe asked.

"An invitation?" Danielle asked.

"A 'posted card'?" Yvette asked with a smile.

"For whom?" the girls all asked.

"Madeline and Darla?" Miss Clavel called over the littlest of her twelve girls and their guest.

"What is it, Miss Clavel?" Madeline asked as she walked over with the curly blonde girl.

Miss Clavel smiled to the girls and handed the letter to the two of them. Madeline and Darla both began to read the letter and where they were surprised at what they read. The others looked very curious and anxious to hear all about what the letter had to say.

"From our 'long-lost Uncle Hortz'..." Madeline read aloud. "I 'ave a family, I 'ave an uncle, and I 'ave a cousin!" she then said the final part to Darla.

"Say wha...?" Atticus and Cherry asked out of shock.

Patch's jaw dropped as he was just as shocked. The others smiled as Madeline had a family at last.

"And he is coming here to see us!" Darla beamed, then smiled to Madeline. "And we're cousins! I don't think I've had a cousin before..."

"Your mothers must have been sisters." Atticus smiled at Madeline and Darla.

Madeline and Darla then smiled to each other and shared a hug.

"How wonderful!" the others praised.

"Girls, girls!" Miss Clavel stood up with a smile. "We must prepare, everything must be ready for Madeline and Darla's Uncle Horst! 'E's their family!"

"Where is he coming from?" Cherry asked.

"Vienna!" Madeline announced with a smile.

"Whoa! That's far away." Atticus said.

"Come on, guys, it's time to get cleaned up." Amber decided.

"She's right," Darla nodded as they all got into cleaning clothes and went to clean up as she sang a song that her nanny used to sing to her when she was little. "London from bottom to top is zup, The keeper in the shop is zup, And even Mrs. Mop is zup, Oh what a lovely morning~..."

Amber smiled to the song. "Your nanny used to sing that?"

"Every morning." Darla smiled back.

Everyone was soon dressed in different clothing as they were going to get the place cleaned. Cherry, Atticus, Patch, and even Charlotte did what they could do to help. Madeline and Darla were very excited to meet their uncle especially since they found out they were cousins.

"Arms that warm me when I'm cold~," Madeline began to sing. "Lips that smile and never scold, smile and never scold!~"

"Ears that listen, Hands that hold, Once again, we two have a family!~" Darla sang as they danced together as their clothes changed for cleaning.

"Homemade chocolate creme souffle~" Yvette sang as she washed the dishes.

"Picnics out on holidays~" Danielle sang as she passed a laundry basket to Janine.

"Summer beaches, Winter sleigh~" Chloe sang.

"Once more, they have a family!~" the girls all sang together. "Family!~"

"That's helps you up every time you fall~" Atticus sang.

"Family!~" the others sang.

"The ones that hang your drawings on the wall~" Cherry lazily sang as she put up a framed crayon drawing.

"Family!~" The others sang.

"The ones that love you most of all!~" Patch sang, not realizing he revealed he could speak.

The others looked to the dog curiously. Patch smiled nervously and then carried a basket of laundry on his back. The others simply shrugged before going back to singing.

"Words of comfort when I'm scared~," Madeline sang as she thought about her parents. "Treasured stories to be shared, Gifts that show me someone cared, Once more, I have a family!~"

"Family!~" The girls sang.

"They cure your tears when you feel small~" Yvette sang.

"Family!~" the girls sang.

"The ones who are there when you call~" Danielle sang.

"Family!~" the girls sang.

"The ones who truly love you most of all~" Chloe sang.

"Once more, we have a family~" Darla and Madeline sang together.

They were continuing to clean the house while singing.

Soon enough, the whole house was cleaned up and was spotless, unless you counted Patch. Miss Clavel felt a lot better after they spent the whole day cleaning and suddenly, the girls were all tired since they spent the day cleaning up.

"You girls better get some sleep." Atticus smiled.

"Oui, oui," Miss Clavel agreed. "Sweet dreams. Tomorrow will be an exciting day! Sleep well."

"Good night, good night, dear Miss Clavel!" the girls smiled back as their light was turned out and they all fell asleep instantly in their beds.

"Bon nuit, Auntie Clara." Charlotte added.

Everyone else soon went to bed. It was another exhausting day, but it was worth it.

"I'm just so excited that I have a cousin." Darla smiled as Atticus was tucking her into bed.

"I'm just surprised you two haven't met until the first time you Amber and her met." Atticus said.

"I know..." Darla giggled. "I knew we'd be good friends when we first met."

"Okay, kiddo, get some sleep," Atticus smiled. "You wanna be well rested for your uncle."

"I sure do." Darla yawned before going to sleep.

Atticus smiled as he tucked in Darla. "Good night."

"Night, Atticus..." Darla said quietly as she turned over to sleep.

Atticus then turned out the light for her and then left the room to get to his own bed. Maisy soon came into Darla's bed and rested with her. Darla seemed to sense Maisy in her sleep and hugged her kitten in her slumber. Maisy slept peacefully as they were excited to meet Darla and Madeline's uncle.

"Psst... Madeline, Darla, are you asleep?" Amber asked.

"Of course," Madeline replied. "This is no time to be asleep."

Yvette, Chloe, and Danielle agreed as they were wondering what the man they would meet tomorrow would be like.

"Maybe he'll be an author." Darla smiled.

Maisy was still fast asleep as the girls thought about what Horst could possibly be like.

"Yes, a beloved novelist like our very own Victor Hugo." Chloe agreed with Darla.

"Do you think he'll have red hair like mine or blonde hair like Darla?" Madeline wondered. "Who will be this Uncle Horst?"

"Well, whoever he is, I just know he'll be nice and kind." Darla smiled.

"Maybe he's a brave soldier?" Danielle suggested. "Non, non, a general! Vith medals and decorations.... Or an Admiral who commanded his own fleet!"

"No, no, he must be a prince." Amber spoke up.

"Oui, oui, with a castle and fine horses!" Yvette agreed.

"What about you, Madeline, what do you think he's like?" Darla asked.

"He's sure to be handsome~..." Madeline smiled as she thought about it.

"As well as educated." Amber added.

"And rich!" Danielle smiled.

"And slender~..." Yvette smiled dreamily.

"And finally, very kind," Madeline smiled to her best friends. "Monsieur Perfect."

The girls all soon went to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning then came.

Atticus checked on Miss Clavel and smiled. "Well, your temperature's gone back down and you got your color back, looks like you're all better!" 

"Merci for your help, Atticus." Miss Clavel smiled as she then decided to get out of bed to get dressed.

Everyone soon got dressed to get ready for the day. Madeline told Darla and Amber what to wear as this was an outing. Miss Clavel stood outside, waiting for her girls and smiled to Charlotte before hugging her niece as she stood with Cherry. Once the girls arrived, Miss Clavel led her girls down the block with their two extras, and where the first ones they met in the morning were a man with a monkey.

"Bonjurno." the organ grinder greeted. 

"Did you know my uncle is coming?" Madeline smiled as that was the only thing on her mind today.

"Who is also my uncle." Darla added with a smile.

"Si?" the organ grinder asked.

"From Vienna!" Darla and Madeline announced together.

"Ah, then here is a Waltz in his honor!" the organ grinder chuckled as he then played a tune to make his monkey dance along to it and where this made the girls giggle out of amusement.

Madeline curtsied as the monkey bowed and they shook hands and began to Waltz together.

After that, they continued their walk as a man smiled and was selling balloons. Madeline and Darla were now going over to him to inform him about their uncle arriving.

"Did you know today I have a visitor?" Madeline smiled to the man.

"Who can that be?" the man replied with a friendly smile back.

"It's our uncle from Vienna." Darla whispered.

Madeline nodded to confirm what her cousin whispered.

"For your uncle so you each have something to give him." the man smiled as he handed a dark blue and a hot pink balloon to the girls.

"Merci/Thank you, sir." Madeline and Darla thanked with smiles back.

"Girls, please keep up." Atticus said.

Darla and Madeline then came back as they stopped by a woman who was selling flowers.

"Guess who those are for?" Madeline pointed with a smile to the bouquet.

"Your uncle, Madeline?" the woman smiled as she plucked more flowers.

"How did you know?" Darla and Madeline smiled.

Yvette and Amber giggled as they came out from the flowers.

"Now everybody knows!" Chloe announced with a laugh.

Soon enough, they all went back to wait for Madeline and Darla's uncle to arrive.

"I still can't believe Darla has an uncle and that Madeline is her cousin..." Atticus said to Cherry.

"I know..." Cherry replied, not listening all the way.

"Are you even listening?" Atticus asked.

"Sorry, Atticus, trying to get this spot out." Cherry said as she was scrubbing against a spot on the floor.

"Understandable." Atticus said.

Cherry groaned. "Out, darn spot!"

Atticus then used his magic to get rid of the stain.

"HA! I win." Cherry smirked once the spot was gone.

Soon enough, a taxi cab arrived at the gates.

"He's here!" Darla and Madeline cheered to each other before running down the stairs.

"Ah, wait!" Miss Clavel held them back and straightened them out. "We must make good first impression, no? Oui!"

"Miss Clavel is right, we wanna make a good first impression." Atticus nodded.

The other girls laughed as they ran down the stairs, but their mistress stopped them. 

There came a knock at the front door and Miss Clavel opened the door to show a young adult man who had a smile on his face. 

"Clara Clavel, I presume?" the man tipped his hat to the woman. "Ja, I am Madeline and Darla's Uncle Horst."

Darla and Madeline seemed to frown as this man was not who they had expected to see.

"Mai oui, Monsieur, and this is Madeline and Darla." Miss Clavel introduced the now frowning girls. 

"Bonjour, Monsieur." Darla and Madeline greeted.

"Ah, 'ow could I not recognize my own kind?" Horst asked before giving his hat to the woman. "You are both are as every bit of beautiful as your mothers!"

"You knew our mothers?" Darla asked.

"Ah, but of course," Horst chuckled. "I am your uncle, I'm family!"

"Family? I did not know I had any." Madeline smiled.

"Is good, ja?" Horst replied.

"Oh, oui," Darla replied back as she practiced the French that her new friends taught her. "Ja!"

"JA!" the other girls copied.

Patch soon saw a man outside with presents which would be for all of the girls.

Horst snapped his fingers to summon the man inside. "Und now, zhe gifts!"

"Am I the only one who thinks it's weird that Madeline is French, but has a German uncle?" Cherry whispered to Atticus.

"You are not the only one." Atticus whispered.

"Oooohhh.... Ahhhh!" the girls oohed and awed as they were given gifts from their guest.

The girls put down their presents and opened them to find that they were each given lace to go with their uniforms.

"These are lovely." Amber smiled.

"Merci beaucop, Monsieur Horst!" The girls smiled to their guest.

"You are most kind, Horst." Miss Clavel smiled to the man as well.

"No, no, no, it is my pleasure," Horst smiled. "It is good etiquette to bring parting gifts."

"Parting gifts?" Darla frowned.

"We do not understand." Madeline added.

"Perhaps I should start at the beginning," Horst said before taking out an envelope and handed it to Miss Clavel. "As you can see, the courts have made me Madeline and Darla's new guardians. After all, that is how it should be, ja? We are family!"

"Family..." Madeline beamed at that word.

"But... I have a family..." Darla pouted. "I'm a Fudo..."

"That's right." Atticus glared at Horst as he kept Darla away from him so he couldn't take her away.

"Oh, my dear, we are family though," Horst told her. "I'm your real family... But..."

"But?" Amber asked nervously.

"I live in Vienna," Horst then said. "Und my work is in Vienna, und there is a very fine, exquisite finishing school..."

Darla was now being torn between the family she loved and the new family she just learned of.

"Leave our friends?" Madeline asked. "Leave Paris?"

"For zhe fine Viennese finishing school!" Horst smiled back. 

Darla and Madeline looked to each other and they both felt in despair. Patch began to growl as he didn't like this man one bit.

"Down, Patch..." Atticus warned. "I-I'm sorry, sir, he must be hungry..." he then smiled nervously and apologetically.

Patch soon used his magic secretly to take a strand of Horst's mustache so he could let the French Pound Puppies run a DNA scan of it.

Atticus took Patch out of the room to 'feed him'. "I don't trust him either, boy."

"I'm gonna give this to the French Pound Puppies." Patch said as he took the DNA sample.

"Perfect." Atticus nodded.

Patch's stomach then rumbled and he smiled sheepishly with a weak chuckle.

"Wow, you are hungry..." Atticus said. "I just said that so we could talk."

"I know, I didn't I know I was actually hungry." Patch said.

Atticus chuckled, he then took of Patch's favorite and put it in a bowl. Patch them smiled and ate the food up instantly to satisfy his hunger.

"Zhis school is zhe same one your mothers went to..." Horst told Madeline and Darla.

"The same where our mothers went?" Darla smiled.

"Oh, it must be wonderful..." Madeline also smiled. 

"Tomorrow, we take zhe Orient Express." Horst replied as he took out a pocket watch.

"The Orient Express?!" The girls gasped.

Atticus poked his head in as Patch was eating the food given to him.

"Tomorrow?" Darla and Madeline frowned.

"It precisely leaves for Vienna 10:05 in the morning," Horst replied. "I will be here at 9:00, please take note of that."

"But leaving tomorrow is so soon." Cherry said.

"Uh, Monsieur, we hope you will dine with us this evening, no?" Charlotte invited. 

"Oh, most definitely." Horst smiled and bowed as he then decided to go to his cab and come back for dinner tonight.

Madeline and Darla then watched as Horst was parting ways with them until later tonight. Patch and Maisy both left the building after he finished eating and where they saw something confusing while they made their way to one of the entrances to the French Pound Puppy and Pound Furry headquarters since the two teams had so much in common.


	6. Chapter 6

"Halt!" A French bull dog glared as he stood with a gray cat with beady yellow eyes known as a Chartreux. 

"It's okay, guys." Patch said as he then gestured to his Pound Puppy tag and Maisy's Pound Furry tag.

"Sacre bleu, they are American members!" the gray cat then said.

"Oui, oui." The bull dog nodded before they saw Patch and Maisy paying attention to Horst, out of curiosity.

"Is there a problem?" the cat asked.

"That man seems suspicious to us..." Maisy replied. "As you know, we animals have an excellent judge of character."

"Come on in." The bull dog invited Patch and Maisy into their headquarters.

Patch and Maisy both followed the bull dog and gray cat. Cats and dogs seemed to work together here which made Patch and Maisy smile.

Patch then came with his DNA sample. "Got this from the man's mustache in question."

"You have your suspicions of him, no?" The bulldog asked Patch

"Yes... No... I mean..." Patch replied before sighing. "Well, I don't trust him."

"Allow me," The bull dog took the sample and put it into a machine. "JACQUES!" 

A frisky cat with a red ascot and a black beret came over and worked on the machine.

"We shall know the answer as soon as we can, but it may take a while." The gray cat said.

"Take your time, but please do hurry if you can." Maisy replied.

"I shall try my best." the frisky cat said in a thick accent as he went to work.

"I hope it comes before tomorrow." Maisy frowned.

"We will try our best, mon cherie~" the cat smirked, trying to flirt with Maisy. 

"FOCUS!" the bull dog pounded him on the head.

"Was he trying to flirt with me?" Maisy asked.

"I think he was..." Patch replied.

Another cat came in to check on the machine.

"Is it working, Fritz?" the white female cat asked.

"I am trying my best." the frisky cat replied.

"Oh... Bonjour..." the white cat smiled to Maisy and Patch. "You all must be new... I am Mewsette."

"We're actually Patch and Maisy from the American Pound Puppies and Pound Furries." Patch told Mewsette.

"Ah, I see, I thought you seemed different..." Mewsette replied. "You must love Gay Purree~"

"It's nice, but we're just visiting." Maisy smiled.

"Yeah and I have a feeling this visit will be an adventure." Patch said.

"Ah, adventure is nice..." Mewsette nodded.

"I found a match for a man named Henri Durand." Fritz said once his machine finished scanning.

"Henri?" Patch and Maisy wondered as the man they met told them that his name was Horst.

"But the man we met said his name is Horst." Maisy said.

"That man must have lied for a reason." Fritz said.

"Like for Darla's and Madeline's family's inheritance?" Patch asked.

"Oui, and he is working with a woman named Madame LaCroque." Fritz nodded.

"Wait, didn't she used to be a famous stage dancer?" The bull dog asked. "And doesn't she make laces out of hair?"

"I knew about the laces, but I didn't know about the stage dancing." Fritz replied.

"Lace?" Patch and Maisy looked nervous since 'Horst' gave those as gifts to the girls.

"Would her laces also be white?" Patch asked.

"It can be, but it can be other colors, depending on the girl if she gets punished." The bull dog nodded. 

"Oh, my..." Patch gulped.

"We'll find out where her store/factory is." Frisk said.

The computer seemed to shut down for the night. This made the French Pound Puppies and Furries flip out.

"Oh, no, this is not good..." Mewsette noticed, then looked to their guests. "I am sorry, but our computer, she has shut down for the evening."

They soon saw mice come out, looking like they needed to rest.

"Oh, the poor dears..." Mewsette pouted. 

"Mice?" Patch asked. "You don't work with squirrels?"

"Sure we do, but we also work with mice who run the enter machine." Frisk said.

"You guys go to rest, you've had a long day." The bull dog told them.

"Merci, Pierre." The mice replied as they were exhausted.

"We better get back to our owners." Maisy said.

"Thank you so much for your help." Patch told the others.

"You are most welcome, come back again any time!" Mewsette replied.

"We will." Maisy nodded.

Patch and Maisy then left the Headquarters as it was getting dark and where they soon rushed back to their owners. 

Darla and Atticus then hugged their pets. Patch and Maisy could already tell that their owners were wearing some fancy clothes in a way to convince who they thought was Darla and Madeline's uncle to let them stay in Paris and the Fudo family. Atticus then gave a treat to Patch with a smile. Patch then accepted the treat, but luckily for him, he still thought about what he and Maisy had encountered.

"Is this cat nip?" Darla asked her kitten suspiciously.

"That's, uh, not mine." Maisy replied.

"Well, then how did you get some on you?" Darla asked.

"Um..." Maisy hummed while Patch smirked to her. "We made some new friends."

"And I'm guessing one of them must really like cat nip." Darla said.

Maisy chuckled sheepishly. Pepito soon came over since he was close with Madeline. Soon enough, the man they were waiting for had finally arrived.


	7. Chapter 7

The girls bowed as they wore pink dresses with their laces and had white gloves. Once they saw Horst, they curtsied for him as he bowed to them before he came to Pepito's parents, his mother, and his father, The Spanish Ambassador. 

"Senor Ambassador of Spain and his wife." Miss Clavel introduced Horst to their next-door neighbors.

'This just might work.' Darla thought to herself.

Horst shook hands with The Spanish Ambassador.

"Oh, Madeline, I like your dress." Pepito smiled to the smallest of the twelve little girls.

"Oh, thank you, Pepito." Madeline blushed.

'Those two are so meant to be.' Darla thought to herself.

The Spanish couple was trying to make it so Madeline and Darla could stay with the others and not go to Vienna with Horst, but he insisted on letting the girls come with him.

'Let's hope the lord can convince him to let Madeline and Darla stay.' Atticus thought to himself.

The school inspector Lord Cucuface soon came over and the girls curtsied to him with polite smiles, and where he and Horst shook hands. 

"I'm surprised we haven't met," Lord Cucuface told Horst. "I have many friends in high places in Vienna!"

"Ja?" Horst replied which seemed to make him nervous.

"Oh, yes, indeed!" Lord Cucuface replied before listing some of his friends, but he seemed to forget the names along the way.

Darla and Amber hid eye rolls at this.

"Madames and Monsieurs," a maid walked in with a smile. "Dinner is served."

'Great, maybe dinner will help.' Cherry thought to herself.

They all came into the dining hall to see great foods.

"Mm..." Patch smiled.

There was fish, pot roast, honey cake, baked rolls, buttery potatoes, and gelatin. It was a great meal all together.

"Here in school, I learn how to play piano." Madeline said to Horst.

"Most beneficial, but in Vienna, you will learn how to play the flute!" Horst replied.

'This guy isn't giving up.' Patch thought to himself.

"Madeline has also learned how to paint." Danielle smiled.

"In Vienna, you will learn to sculpt!" Horst replied.

"And, she's learned... Um..." Chloe pouted.

"Football!" Yvette quickly suggested.

"She means 'physics'!" Madeline then said after a gasp about the idea of playing football.

"Yeah, everyone needs to learn about physics, even a lady." Darla said.

"You ladies do not need to know these things." Horst replied.

"Darla's my bestest friend, we do everything together!" Amber said as she put her arm around Darla.

"She will become best friends with princesses in Vienna." Horst insisted.

"Me and those princesses won't have anything in common." Darla said.

"Uh, I believe our girls have something very special for us this evening!" Lord Cucuface spoke up as Madeline felt nervous about meeting princesses. 

"Come on, girls, let's go to the Music Room." Charlotte told her aunt's students.

"I hope this works." Amber whispered

"You and me both." Darla whispered back to her best friend.

The adults, Cherry, Atticus, Charlotte, Darla, and Amber sat down to watch the musical performance while Patch, Maisy, and Genevieve sat by their feet. Danielle conducted the music and the speaking as Nona played violin, Sylvie played cello, and Ellie played the flute.

"I count like an accountant." Chloe said.

"I speak Dutch like a Duchess!" Yvette added.

"And they both print like a couple of princesses!" Pepito finished as he pointed to Darla and Madeline.

Darla and Madeline both smiled at that. Miss Clavel smiled back and patted both the girls on their heads.

"We can sing, we can dance, we sing songs with compassion, we can draw, we can paint, all with true fashion~" the girls all sang together. "We like each other and our bread, Sometimes we travel and take 'Le Red', We are elegant and confident, posh, and sophisticated, playful, musically inside~"

"We can dribble!" Pepito added as he kicked a soccer ball.

Darla got a bit nervous as Pepito mentioned soccer. The girls continued to sing and dance to show off their talents to Horst such as ballet dancing, painting pictures, singing at the Opera, swimming, skating, horseback riding, cooking, baking, and staying connected to the many countries of the world. Horst still insisted on having Madeline and Darla come to school in Vienna and not staying here anymore or living with the Fudos. 

Atticus, Cherry, Miss Clavel, Charlotte, and Pepito's parents began to join in the song, telling Horst what the girls were amazing at. Pepito played his rather violin horribly which made Horst cringe and shudder. After the song, everyone clapped for the girls.

'That must have let him know that the girls belong with us.' Atticus thought to himself.

"I love it when you sing." Maisy purred quietly to Darla.

Darla gently pet her kitten. 

Horst clapped although didn't seem to have any emotion. "That was, uh, most entertaining for music lovers," he replied. "Do not worry, liebchans, you vill attend many concerts in Vienna just as your mothers loved to do."

Madeline and Darla frowned to each other until they heard about their mothers.

"Now, tomorrow, ve have an early start, The Orient Express vaits for no vun," Horst then reminded after looking at his pocket watch. "Be on time!"

"Of... Of course." Darla replied.

"Allow me to drive you." Lord Cucuface offered.

"Of course." Horst smiled.

"Yes, of course." Lord Cucuface nodded back and walked out with the man.

"I can't believe that didn't work." Darla frowned.

"Oh, Darla..." Atticus frowned sadly as he hugged his little sister.

"I love you too much to go away." Darla blinked with tears in her eyes.

"Maybe you won't have to go away, we have some news that will shock you." Maisy whispered to them.

Darla looked down to her kitten. Miss Clavel tried to hide her sadness about Madeline leaving the school as did the other girls, but Darla and Atticus came to Maisy as they were getting ready for bed.

"Okay, it turns out; that man, he's French and he's not your uncle, his name isn't even Horst." Maisy said.

"What?!" Darla gasped.

"It's true, his real name is Henri Durand," Maisy nodded. "Patch and I went to the French Pound Puppies/Furries Headquarters."

"I knew there was something wrong about him." Atticus said.

"But wait, is Madeline really my cousin?" Darla wondered.

"Well, you two do have the same eye color." Atticus said.

"Wasn't your mother French?" Maisy asked.

"Probably hints of..." Darla replied with a small shrug. "My dad's family came from New Orleans though."

"I wonder how they met?" Patch said.

"I wonder that all the time..." Darla sighed. "I also wonder who sang and danced, I knew I had to get it from someone. I didn't see them a whole lot before I had to live in an orphanage, I was mostly with my nanny."

"Maybe your mom was the singer and your dad was the dancer." Atticus guessed.

"Maybe..." Darla replied.

Amber poked her head in. "Darla, are you ready for bed?"

"Yeah." Darla said.

"Come on then." Amber said.

"Let's talk more about this tomorrow." Darla said before she went with her best friend.

"Alright." Atticus said.

"Pleasant dreams, mon cheries." Miss Clavel smiled to her girls.

"We will try." The girls replied sadly.

Miss Clavel sighed and then turned off the light and shut the door to let her students sleep. Darla couldn't seem to get to sleep after finding out that the man they met lied about who he was.


	8. Chapter 8

"I can't believe this is my last night." Madeline frowned.

"Sad indeed." Yvette agreed.

"Non, non," Danielle sat up, but a tear rolled down her cheek. "It is wonderful for Madeline..." she then broke down crying.

Darla couldn't stand the girls crying so she stood up and decided to tell them all she knew so far.

"Oh, Madeline, whatever will we do without you?" Chloe asked.

"Madeline's not going anywhere and neither am I." Darla said as she sat up in her bed with a firm look on her face.

"What do you mean, Darla?" Amber asked.

"You 'eard Uncle Horst, Darla..." Madeline replied.

"That man is not our uncle!" Darla told her. "He is a phony!"

"What are you talking about?" Chloe asked.

"How do you know?" Janine asked.

"Um... Well... Uh..." Darla wasn't sure how to tell that truth honestly. "Erm... Atticus told me!"

"How did Atticus know? Did Patch or Maisy tell them?" Amber asked before she covered her mouth.

"Patch and Maisy?" the other girls asked in suspicion of talking animals.

"We might as well tell them while telling you what they told me and Atticus." Darla sighed.

"Go ahead, Darla..." Amber replied. "You might as well."

Darla soon told the girls all about the pets able to talk and the Pound Puppies and the Pound Furries. The girls were surprised and confused at first.

"She's telling the truth." Amber defended her best friend.

"It's true." Maisy said.

The girls did a double take at Maisy.

"It's a special method called Puppy Power, or in my case, Kitty Power," Maisy told the girls. "That's how I'm talking to all of you."

"But you all have to promise not to tell anyone." Amber said.

"We won't." The girls promised.

"Good..." Maisy approved. 

"So, how did you find out?" Madeline asked.

"We ran a DNA scan through a machine in the Headquarters and where it showed the information of who the man truly is and who he works for/with." Maisy said.

"This cannot be true!" Yvette gasped.

"I'm afraid it is." Maisy replied.

"Who does he work for?" Chloe asked.

"A woman named Madame LaCroque." Maisy said.

"That name sounds familiar." Darla said.

"Really?" Maisy asked.

"I know I've heard that name from somewhere, but I'm not sure where..." Darla scratched her head in thought.

"Wasn't she incredibly beautiful?" Madeline asked.

"I swear, she'll come to me in a dream tonight, but how can I sleep?" Darla replied. She then thought of a plan, but involved some acting here and there.

"You have an idea?" Amber asked her best friend.

Darla nodded before she whispered her idea to the girls. The girls came out of their beds so they could hear the plan better.

"Trust me, if anyone knows about acting, it's me." Darla smirked.

"So, we just act sad like you two will be gone forever?" Amber asked.

"Yeah, when we really won't be gone forever." Darla said.

"I'm not sure..." Amber said. "I'm not as a good actress as you are, Darla."

"Just tell yourself in your head that I will be gone forever and you'll never see me again." Darla coached.

"That will definitely get me to act sad and cry." Amber said.

Darla and Amber shared hugs together before then getting really tired and falling asleep.

"Remember the plan, guys." Darla reminded them all.

"We will." The girls replied before getting settled in and falling asleep as well.

However, next door, Pepito was hatching a scheme. He woke up from his bed and he snuck out of his room. Atticus could sense Pepito coming and where he decided to fly out of his guest room and see what the boy was up to. Pepito yelped slightly from surprise. 

"What are you doing up so late?" Atticus asked the Spanish boy.

"I am sleepwalking?" Pepito made up.

"The truth." Atticus said.

"I was going to make the chicken fall asleep so he wouldn't wake up the sun." Pepito then admitted.

"Don't you mean rooster?" Atticus asked.

"My English is not well..." Pepito replied. "I am still learning, I mean, I live in France now."

"So, why are you trying to make the rooster fall asleep?" Atticus then asked.

"So he doesn't make the sun wake up and then Madeline will have to go away forever." Pepito explained.

"Ohh." Atticus said, now understanding.

Pepito then took out his bag. "I'm going to feed him this food so he'll be full and he won't wake up Paris."

"And if that doesn't work, I can give you a little strength boost." Atticus said.

"Now, if you'll excuse me..." Pepito said as he then tied his sheets together to make a rope get him down from his balcony as he came to the sleeping rooster who was locked up in a cage.

Atticus began to watch and see how this would end.

Pepito came to the rooster who then woke up and was about to crow out. "Shh! Por favor, if you wake the sun, it will be morning, and Madeline will be gone!" he then held out a bag to the bird.

"Ooh..." the rooster looked hungry and came down to the food.

"A full beak will keep you quiet." Pepito smiled as he poured the food out.

"Not all of the food, just a handful at a time." Atticus whispered.

"Eat slowly..." Pepito told the rooster.

"You dumped out all of the food, he isn't exactly going to eat slowly." Atticus whispered.

Once the rooster finished eating, he then took a deep breath so he could crow.

"Ay-yi-yi-yi!" Pepito panicked and then threw the bag over the rooster's head.

"That was close." Atticus sighed.

"Silencio!" Pepito told the rooster. "Don't wake El Sun! Go back to sleep!"

The rooster then poked his head out of the bag and took a deep breath. Pepito then found a cork and put it on the bird's beak. Unfortunately, that didn't stop the rooster either. 

"SHUSH!" Pepito and Atticus panicked.

"COCKADOODLEDOO!" the rooster finally crowed and the sun was coming up right on cue like with Chanticleer.

And where the sun soon rose up. Pepito had failed to stop daylight and soon enough, all of Paris was awakening as the sun came up.

"Looks like I'll need that strength boost." Pepito said.

"Only if you promise to use it responsibly and professionally, do you promise?" Atticus asked.

"I, José Marco Filippo Juan Franloco Lopez de Vega Esteban Machado Jorge Santiago de la Rocha Gaspar Carlos de Fuentes Coruna Diego y Sevilla promise to use these new powers responsibly and professionally." Pepito promised as he put his right hand up while bowing his head with his eyes closed.

"Alright, then give me your right arm." Atticus said.

Pepito then did as told. Atticus began to massage Pepito's arm. And where after a while, Pepito soon felt incredible strength coursing through his body. Atticus let go with a smile. Pepito smiled back, he then went to his house and tried to lift it up.

"Whoa!" Atticus yelped. "Take it easy, buddy!"

"Sorry, just wanted to try out my new strength." Pepito said.

"It can be fun." Atticus had to admit. He then had an idea of who Pepito could use his new strength on.

Pepito smiled as he enjoyed his new strength, but he was still going to miss Madeline so much.

"We'll test your strength later." Atticus said.

"All right..." Pepito replied with a sad sigh.


	9. Chapter 9

Meanwhile in Miss Clavel's school...

The girls met the next morning with dread as they got out of bed to brush their teeth, got dressed, and soon made their beds. Well, almost all, except for Madeline and Darla, even if they knew they wouldn't be gone for long they had to make it look like they were. Madeline's bed had been stripped of its pillow and sheets as they were packed up and ready to leave with 'Horst', and where it was soon time for breakfast. The girls bowed their heads as they said their prayer before eating. And where they even cried even though they knew the girls wouldn't be gone forever.

"Little dears," Miss Clavel tried to calm them down. "Your tears will make zhe 'ot chocolate salty!" she then sniffled as she found herself unable to fight her own tears as she cried along with them.

Charlotte was starting to join in as she couldn't bear her own granddaughter leaving.

"Nana Charlotte?" Darla noticed.

"I heard everything, honey..." Charlotte hugged Darla nice and tight. "Oh, you look just like I did when I went to school here when I was your age."

Darla hugged her grandmother back. Charlotte sniffled and gently stroked Darla's golden curls.

After breakfast, Darla and Madeline were packing their bags, and where where Maisy and Patch included trackers that wouldn't make a sound but would be able to show where they were. The girls decided to give Madeline and Darla something to remember them by. Danielle gave her baby doll while Amber gave back her friendship bracelet to Darla. 

Madeline put the baby doll in her suitcase and Darla held the bracelet close to her heart. The suitcases seem to have a mind of their own as they wouldn't close. The girls all sat together and tried to shut the suitcases by sitting on them. Soon enough, that did the trick and the suitcases shut.

Meanwhile next door again...

"Now what're you doing?" Atticus asked the Spanish boy as he pet the cat in the room.

"I need to find something to give to Madeline so she'll remember me," Pepito replied. "I wonder what she would like best?"

"Do you have a spinning top?" Atticus asked.

"Hmm... Let me see..." Pepito replied as he tossed away his slingshot and then found what he was looking for. "Ah, my top! But where is the string?"

The cat then played with the spinning top and swatted it with his paw which made it spin around on the floor.

"I'm sure it's in there somewhere." Atticus said.

"What is that?" he then wrinkled his nose slightly at the green thing.

"My prized toad, sun-dried of course," Pepito replied, he then tossed it to the floor.

The cat sniffed the toad and then looked very disgusted himself.

"Even the cat hates how it smells." Atticus said.

"I cannot find the string, but how about this?" Pepito suggested with a smile. "The best of all!"

"What is that?" Atticus flinched again.

"The best present of all from the Ambassador from Brazil!" Pepito announced. "A unique imitation shrunken head!"

"Um....." Atticus said, unsure.

The cat was spooked by the design.

"Perfecto!" Pepito smiled and then wrapped it up.

"I wonder how things are going with the girls?" Atticus said.

There was a taxi outside the school which meant that it was time for Darla and Madeline to go.

"Now, my sweets--" Horst held the door open for the girls.

"Wait for me!" Genevieve yipped as she rushed over and jumped into the car.

"Don't leave without me!" Maisy meowed in Cat language.

"Nein, nein, nein!" Horst glared as he took the animals out of the car. 

"Genevieve and Maisy want to go with Madeline and Darla," Chloe replied. "We all agreed."

"Besides, Maisy is Darla's kitten." Amber added.

"Oui, oui!" The other girls agreed as well.

"That's right." Darla nodded as the girls put the dog and kitten back inside the car.

"Merci, mes ami." Madeline smiled to her friends.

"Zhere are no animals in zhe school of Vienna!" Horst took the dog and kitten away again. 

"Awww!" The girls frowned.

"Then there is no Madeline or Darla in the school of Vienna!" Madeline and Darla glared, refusing to be without their animal best friends.

"That's right, if you were our real uncle, then you would allow our pets to come along." Darla said.

The girls gasped slightly at Madeline and Darla's backtalk. 

Horst glared before sighing in defeat and smiled. "Ja."

Genevieve and Maisy then smiled back and hopped back into the car.

"Darn it, I thought that would make him come clean." Darla whispered to herself with a firm pout.

"Do not vorry, he'll slip up soon enough." Madeline whispered to Darla. Darla smiled to Madeline and she then smiled back.

"Now, I have somezhing for the trip." Miss Clavel replied.

"All of Madeline and Darlene's needs are provided for," Horst said to her. "But any spending money may be given to me entrusted for safe keeping."

"These are only for Madeline and Darla." Charlotte said.

"Are zhey valuable?" Horst asked hopefully.

"Priceless," Miss Clavel said and came to the redheaded girl. "Madeline, close your eyes."

Madeline did as told and closed her eyes.

"Now open." Miss Clavel then said as she took out a familiar looking golden necklace.

"Oh, Maman's beads!" Madeline beamed.

Charlotte smiled as she knew Miss Clavel had been saving to entrust the beads to Madeline.

"I vas told to keep zhese in safe keeping until it vas time to give zhem to you," Miss Clavel smiled to Madeline. "Now is that time."

"And Darla, I have something for you." Charlotte said.

"Oh, Nana, you shouldn't have." Darla smiled.

"Close your eyes." Charlotte told her.

Darla then smiled and closed her eyes. Charlotte then brought out a necklace that had the Zodiac animals around it.

"Oh, Nana Charlotte, it's so beautiful!" Darla smiled. "It's like the animals on Chinese Restaurant menus."

"It was your mother's." Charlotte smiled back.

"My mother's...?" Darla asked back with a soft whisper.

"That's right." Charlotte nodded.

Darla then hugged Charlotte with tears in her eyes. "Oh, Nana Lottie..."

Charlotte hugged her granddaughter right back. Miss Clavel soon placed the bead necklace around Madeline's neck. Charlotte did the same for Darla.

"I thought that, perhaps, diamonds?" Horst seemed interested in the jewelry. "Emeralds? Pearls? Well... No matter... Beads can be entrusted to little girls."

"We'll miss you, girls." Cherry frowned.

"Cherry, are you gonna cry?" Darla asked.

"No." Cherry shook her head, though her voice sounded choked.

"Cherry, it's okay, if you want to cry." Darla said.

"I don't cry..." Cherry replied.

"Cherry..." Darla drawled out her name.

Cherry soon sighed, she then covered her eyes as she seemed to shake in her body and soon, she actually did cry.

Darla soon started to comfort Cherry. "I'll miss you too." She soothed.

"Take care of yourself." Cherry told her in a choked up voice.

"I sure will." Darla told her.

Darla and Madeline both soon went in the car. Atticus wiped his eyes as he sighed about Darla leaving.

"No matter what happens, you will always be my brother." Darla said to Atticus one last time.

"And you will always be my little sister." Atticus frowned.

Darla and Atticus shared another rather tearful hug.

"Please, ve must get going!" Horst rushed them.

"Alright, alright." Darla frowned.

Madeline then scooted over for her cousin. Darla took a deep breath and got into the car with her so they could go to Vienna. After the door was closed, Horst went to the passenger seat. Darla looked out the window sadly as the car drove off and she was now leaving her big brother. 

The girls waved from the back window. Patch howled out of sadness, even though he knew the girls wouldn't be gone forever. Darla wiped her eyes as Patch's howl made her feel rather sad on the inside as she held her chest where her heart was. The others then cried as Madeline and Darla were going to be gone forever, or so they made the others think after they found out the truth.

"Oh, girls, do not cry." Charlotte frowned as tears started to come out of her eyes.

"Yes, we must be 'appy...." Miss Clavel added before she soon ended up in tears herself.

"'Appy?" The girls replied as it seemed impossible with their nearest and dearest friend gone far away.

"For Madeline and Darla." Cherry said, trying her best to not cry anymore.

"Yes, yes..." Miss Clavel agreed. 

Amber sniffled as she missed her best friend very much already. Soon enough, everyone hugged each other just as Pepito was rushing over with a present for Madeline and somehow, so did Urchin who was in his human form as he had a present for Darla.

"Wait!" Urchin called out.

"Are we too late?" Pepito asked. "Where are Madeline and Darla?"

"Zhey are gone." Miss Clavel and Charlotte frowned to the boys.

"Forever!" The girls cried.

Pepito and Urchin frowned as they looked down to their presents and then cried out in distress about never seeing the girls again. "NOOOOOOO!!!"

"We have to go after them and give them our presents for them." Urchin said.

"Do you think we can make it?" Pepito asked.

"I know we can if I can run as fast as I can swim." Urchin sounded determined.

"Urchin, how did you hear about Darla?" Atticus asked the little merboy.

"Charlotte told me." Urchin said.

"My driver can drive us after them." Pepito suggested.

"Your driver?" Urchin asked.

"Si, I am the son of the Spanish Ambassador, come with me." Pepito told his new friend.

The boys then went to Pepito's father to have the car go after Horst's car so they could properly say goodbye to the girls.

"Pepito sure has come a long way since we first met him." Amber commented about how Pepito was about Madeline leaving.

"'E sure 'as." Miss Clavel smiled in agreement.

"RRRapido!" Pepito called out to the driver. "Faster!"

Horst's car soon stopped in front of the train depot just ahead, but the taxi cab had instead stopped at the Metro.

"This isn't the train depot." Darla frowned.

"Uncle? Uncle!" Madeline called out.

"Oh, ja, leibchans?" Horst smiled to the girls.

"Vhy did ve stop here?" Madeline asked. "Zhis is not zhe train station."

"Uh, because, before zhe train, ve need to go to boutique." Horst replied.

"The boutique?" Darla asked. "Why?"

"Vhy?" Horst replied. "Oh... For zhe dresses! A couple of formal presentation dresses... Vith... Vith sparkly things all down zhe front. Come!"

"But!" Darla and Madeline called out until they were taken down to the Metropolitan.

"This guy is more persistent than I thought." Darla whispered to Madeline.

Miss Clavel looked forward before looking to the Spanish and merboy. "Pepito, Urchin, 'hat is in your packages?"

Pepito smiled sheepishly and unwrapped his box to show that it was a shrunken head which made the other girls gasp in slight horror while Urchin had a glittering seashell with Darla's name on it, however, on the inside, there was a special surprise just for the girl. The girls seemed to scream at the shrunken head.

"Erm... That sure is... Um... Interesting..." Charlotte smiled nervously, but she shook shivers down her spine as it reminded her of Dr. Facilier. 

The driver drove out of control from the commotion before parking, and luckily, did not crash. 

"PUT IT AVAY!" Miss Clavel scolded Pepito.

Urchin then showed his present for Darla to Charlotte since she knew the secret. Charlotte then opened up the seashell locket to show that it was a glowing image of Atlantica so Darla would always remember the old days in the summer when the kids had first met each other and he had heard her lovely singing which attracted him to her.

"Oh, Urchin, it is lovely, I'm sure Darla will love it." Charlotte smiled.

"I just don't want her to forget about Atlantica, no matter where she goes." Urchin smiled back.

"Well, I can promise you this she definitely won't forget it and Madeline surely will not forget that." Cherry said as she pointed to Pepito's shrunken head.

"It reminds me of Dr. Facilier." Charlotte whispered about the shrunken head.

"We better get going." Atticus said.

"Hurry!" Cherry urged the others before it would be too late.


	10. Chapter 10

Madeline walked Genevieve on her leash while Darla carried Maisy in her arms and Horst walked them over to the Metro Train. However, once they got in, Horst pushed the animals out and the doors closed which shut them out.

"Hey!" Maisy glared.

"Maisy!/Genevieve!" Darla and Madeline cried out for their pets.

"No dogs or cats allowed on zhe Metro!" Horst firmly told the girls. "Zhey vill vait until ve get back."

"Something is not right." Darla said.

"Oh, no!" Madeline yelped.

"Oh, ja." Horst replied.

"Genevieve!" Madeline cried out as the train rode off, leaving the pets behind.

"Madeline!" Genevieve whimpered in Dog language.

Maisy began to comfort Genevieve. Genevieve then nuzzled up against Maisy as their girls were taken away from them.

"Zhey are very excited," Horst smiled nervously to the crowd as they seemed concerned for the sad little girls. "Zheir lives are about to change. Now, good girls, who is in charge? I am in charge! You vish to see the court papers again?"

Darla and Madeline turned their heads.

"Nein? Good!" Horst then said. "Ve'll discuss zhis later."

"I'll make sure to step on his foot to make him pay for both faking to be our uncle and for pushing Genevieve and Maisy off the Metro Train." Darla whispered to Madeline.

"Oui, oui." Madeline whispered back in agreement.

Miss Clavel and the others rushed to the station to hopefully catch Darla and Madeline before they would be gone.

"I can't sense Darla's presence anymore..." Atticus frowned.

"We better see if we can find their train." Cherry said.

"Look, zhere's still time!" Danielle pointed to the departing time for Vienna.

"Ve must hurry!" Yvette added as the clock was about to change.

They then rushed over to the train to catch up with their friends.

Miss Clavel told the girls to stay in line at first, but decided they should just run. They soon saw the conductor.

"Oh, Monsieur, 'ave you seen two little girls?" Miss Clavel asked him. "Both dressed like zhis?"

"One was golden blonde and the other had scarlet hair, though darker than mine." Amber added.

"And a dog and a cat?" Pepito concluded.

"Non." The conductor shrugged.

"What?" Charlotte asked out of concern. "Are you sure?"

"I will check le ticket reservation..." The conductor replied before taking out his clipboard. 

The others were on the edge as they hoped they weren't too late.

'Oh, please, let their names be on the list.' Atticus thought to himself.

"I'm sorry... Zhere is nozhing here." The conductor replied.

"Somezhing is not right!" Miss Clavel felt heartbroken.

The group soon split up and went in the train to check both ends. They didn't find who they were looking for which seemed to make Miss Claval rather sick to her stomach. The others looked rather unhappy and miserable that they couldn't find Darla or Madeline anywhere.

"Oh, dear, oh, dear, somezhing is not right!" Miss Clavel called out in dismay. "Oh, dear, I fear, quite a shiver down a fright."

"There's something going wrong, Something going wrong I suspect~," Charlotte sang as they searched for Darla and Madeline. "Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear!"

"Something, is not correct." The kids chorused.

The Metro Train had soon stopped at a location.

"Something is wrong." Madeline frowned.

"Vhat?" Horst asked as he took their bags.

"Zhis is..." Madeline was about to say.

"Zhe end of zhe line." Horst replied for her.

"Yes." Darla frowned.

"Oui." Madeline added.

"Trust me," Horst replied. "I am your sure, Uncle Horst."

"Oh, dear, oh, dear, something is not good," Darla and Madeline said together as they seemed to be in a dark and dirty city. "Oh, dear, look here, we do not like this neighborhood."

Madeline soon then secretly used the beads from her mother's necklace as a trail for their friends to follow if they came.

"There's something going wrong, what is, but to say, oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear, something is not okay~" Darla sang as they walked on as Madeline secretly left behind one of the beads. She would've picked up the beads, but once she saw what her biological cousin was doing, she kept quiet so Horst wouldn't suspect a thing.

The girls were now looking around the cars while asking the passengers if they had seen Darla or Madeline. Urchin frowned as he couldn't see or find Darla anywhere which made him feel like his heart was breaking.

"We're searching high, we're searching low, we've got to find a sign~" The kids sang. "Our favorite friends, where did they go, oh, dear, dear Darla and Madeline~"

"Cherry, what if we're too late?" Atticus asked as he was worried for his little sister.

"Aw, come on, we just started," Cherry replied. "Besides, there's always hope. You taught me that."

"Oh, had we only realized when the stranger came to call~" Miss Clavel sang.

"If only we recognized the danger to us all~" Charlotte sang.

"The danger to us all~" The kids sang.

"Now, dears, now, dears," Horst looked down to Darla and Madeline. "Everyzhing is fine, my dears, why fear? Just put zhe chin up, Darlene and Madeline!"

"There's something going wrong, we don't know what to do." Darla said before she quickly jumped out of the way as someone dumped water out their apartment window.

"Now, hear, my dears, now hear, just grin, ha ha and say poo poo." Horst told the girls.

Darla and Madeline weren't so sure about that as they passed a rushing biker with bread sticks that fell out on the street.

"Oh, dear, oh, dear, something is not right." everyone sang together as they couldn't find the girls. "It's clear our dears have vanished into thinning light~"

"Something, has to be done~" Pepito and Urchin said together as time was getting away from them.

"Oh, dear, oh, dear, oh, dear... Something... Has to be done!" Cherry and Atticus sang together.

The train whistle then blew and the train rode away from the station.

"Well, that search was a no show." Cherry groaned.

Miss Clavel and the group then left the train depot in despair until they heard familiar animal sounds.

"Genevieve and Maisy!" Nicole called out with glee.

Genevieve and Maisy soon rushed to the girls.

"Oh, girls!" Patch smiled to the French dog and former farm kitten. "Did you come from the Metro?"

"Oui, we did..." Genevieve nodded to the dalmatian puppy. 

"Somezhing is definitely wrong." Miss Clavel frowned since the pets were away from their human best friends.

"We have to call the police." Cherry said.


	11. Chapter 11

Meanwhile, Horst was taking his nieces all around as he carried their bags. They then came to a shop that said 'Dentelles', which was French for 'laces'. Horst nearly stumbled and dropped the girls' suitcases on his feet which made him yell out in pain and anger. 

"Uncle Horst, what 'appened to your Viennese accent?" Madeline narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

'Yes! He finally messed up!' Darla thought to herself.

Horst stammered as he tried to keep up appearances since Madeline was now angered with him.

"You are not from Vienna, are you?" Madeline glared.

"Little troublemakers!" Horst glared back and grabbed the girls to make them go into the building.

"Let us go!" Darla glared as she stepped on his foot.

Horst yelped out slightly from that.

"We're out of here!" Darla said before running with Madeline to escape the awful man who pretended to be their uncle.

"Get back here!" Horst glared.

"Never!" Darla glared back as she ran with Madeline. "This way, Maddie!"

Madeline then ran with her biological cousin so they could escape from Horst. The two of them seemed to bump into a strong man. The man looked down to the girls and growled slightly since they had bothered him.

"Sacre bleu!" Madeline gasped.

"N-N-N-Non." Darla gulped as she recognized the supervillain.

"What's wrong, sweetheart, you seem distressed..." The figure replied.

Horst seemed to smile evilly as he caught up with the girls and came behind them to take them away. Non seemed to be way ahead of him as he picked up the girls and brought them inside the building.

"Excellent work, Non, right zhis way if you vould." Horst smirked.

Non nodded as he then walked with the girls to where Horst wanted them into. Madeline let loose another bead from her mother's necklace that luckily made it out the door before they were going into a rather dark and cold room with little chance of happiness as it was like a dungeon filled with other little girls who appeared to be enslaved.

"We know who you really are!" Darla glared.

"Oui, I am Henri to you, but you are going to your new home now..." Horst glared as he revealed his true self as they were on the way downstairs.

"Close zhe door!" A female from downstairs demanded as she sounded rather grouchy. "Sunlight ruins lace!"

Non didn't obey the female's order. Henri closed the door while trying to carry the girls' suitcases only to fall down the stairs. Darla folded her arms with a cross look to him since he lied to them like that, especially about being family. Madeline was kind enough though to give the man his hat. 

"Bravo..." The woman's voice said, accompanied by clapping. "Such a noble entrance... Henri, failed actor, only good at accent. I hate failed plans! Almost as much as I hate little girls who don't know when to be afraid."

"And you are?" Darla asked.

"I am LaCroque," The woman replied, slightly spitting in her face when she said her name. "Short for 'Le Crocodile'."

Darla then rubbed her eye that got spit in it.

"Vould you believe zhey used to call her 'Le Jolly Fleur'?" Henri whispered to the girls.

"I wouldn't." Darla said.

"HENRI!" LaCroque scolded. "No one gave you lines to speak!"

"Doesn't le jolly fleur mean 'The Pretty Flower' in English?" Darla asked.

"Oui, it does," Madeline replied to her. "Erm... What 'appened?" she then asked the cruel old woman.

"She did." Henri whispered.

"No one gave you permission to speak, and you two, no questions!" LaCroque glared before she grabbed the girls with a pair of scissors and pulled them over to a table which made the other girls gasp with fear.

"What are the scissors for?" Darla asked.

"You will make lace for as long as I say and if you are not quick, I will cut off your hair and use it to make lace!" LaCroque threatened before throwing the hats off of the girls before picking at Darla's golden curls. "Ooh, yours will be most valuable."

"Hands off the hair." Darla said.

"Y-Y-Y-You sh-sh-shouldn't t-t-talk to her like that..." A girl said in a shaky voice.

Non seemed to give Darla a glare, telling her to listen to the woman. Darla was a little nervous of Non's reaction, especially since Atticus wasn't there. LaCroque made Darla and Madeline sit next to a black-haired girl.

"Just as I found zhe court papers, I vill fake reports from zhe Viennese school zhat doesn't exist!" LaCroque smirked darkly to Henri. "And send zhem back to the bank vhere Madeline and Darlene's family fortunes are!"

"And...?" Henri asked with an evil grin back.

"And each one... A nice fat check will come!" LaCroque replied. "For moi!"

"Ve get Madeline and Darla's money vhile they're here under lock and key!" Henri smirked with her.

Darla smirked quietly as she knew the tracking devices that were in their luggage and were still active, unknown to any of the bad people. She then took a look and ducked under her table quickly and took out a new hair clip that was like her old bow and quickly put it in and hid it under her golden locks and it flashed slightly so the others would be able to track her down before she came back up over the table.

"Your aprons and pillows for the lace work." The black-haired girl handed Darla and Madeline their new stuff.

"Thank you." Darla thanked.

"See how I do it with these bobbins?" The girl asked before demonstrating their new jobs. 

"So complicated." Madeline frowned.

"Oui, at first... It takes much time, but you are both smart, no?" The girl then smiled. "You will learn fast... Just be careful, do not get LaCroque angry..."

"We'll try." Darla said.

"'Ow can ve not?" Madeline glared. "Zhey tricked us!"

"I know, Madeline, but we have to try and not get LaCroque angry while the girls follow the trail." Darla whispered.

Madeline nodded as she tried to keep herself together until the others would come to their rescue. Darla soon held her heart as she felt something deep, down inside her heart which told her, not only of her friends and family, but someone very special and important to her: Urchin.

"And how long vill they be our guests?" Horst asked LaCroque.

"Oh, loooong time!" LaCroque smirked.

"Like forever?" Horst smirked back.

"Oh, Henri, your might is so fast!" LaCroque put her arm around his shoulder. "Tres horrible!"

"And vhat is he here for again?" Henri asked while pointing to Non before gaging as he got choke hold by the supervillain.

"To make sure zhe brats don't get avay too soon, especially zhe blonde one..." LaCroque explained darkly. 

"But shouldn't he be handling Superman and not some random child?" Henri asked while gagging from the hold.

"I know, Henri, but there is something unique about this child and he doesn't seem to mind." LaCroque said.

Non glared at Darla as they both knew why this was, but they were both quiet about it. 

"Ah, zhe rarest lace of all is red lace from red hair!" LaCroque snipped her scissors in Madeline's direction. "Come, Henri."

The two then went upstairs while Non was staying guard, mostly toward Darla.

"Vhy is he looking at you?" Madeline whispered to Darla.

"It's a long story..." Darla sighed.


	12. Chapter 12

Back with the others, they even called the police to help them find Darla and Madeline. Urchin opened up his seashell locket as it showed the mermaids and mermen swimming along the ocean, he then closed it once other people came and he had tears in his eyes as it felt like he would never see Darla again at this rate.

"Don't worry, Urchin, we'll find Darla." Cherry assured him.

"I hope so..." Urchin replied as he hugged his locket close to close it to avoid letting any other bystanders know about Atlantica. 

"Man, you really like her." Atticus said to the merboy about his relationship with Darla.

"I love her." Urchin frowned.

"Ew, you love her...?" Cherry asked.

Atticus gave a small glare, then looked soft to Urchin. "I kinda knew that, ever since the Catfish Club."

The police officer was now talking with Miss Clavel and Charlotte.

"Okay, dears, we have to go with the officer to file out missing persons reports," Charlotte told the others. "You wait here with Mrs. Murphy, Cherry, and Atticus."

"Oui, Miss Clavel and Madame Charlotte." The girls replied.

"Yes, ma'am." Urchin nodded to the two adult women. 

"Oh, Shirley, I hope you and my little Herman can forgive me for this..." Charlotte whispered before she took out an older photograph of her daughter-in-law dressed in a school girl uniform back when she was an exchange student in Tokyo.

Miss Clavel and Charlotte soon left with the officer. The siren blared as the cruiser drove off to the station, leaving the boarding school.

"They have to find Darla and Madeline, they just gotta!" Amber cried out as she was upset without her best friend.

They soon heard some beeping sound coming from Amber's pocket. The others faced her.

"Pardon moi..." Amber smiled sheepishly before she took out what was beeping from her dress pocket. She soon saw a device that was showing two red dots in the same location that was far away.

"Oh, a tracking device..." Atticus said before gasping. "Dad's hair clip for Darla on her last birthday!"

"He must have given her a spy device." Cherry said.

"That hair clip..." Atticus remembered. "He told her to always wear it if she was taken somewhere far away and she didn't trust whoever brought her there. Amber, what does the location say?"

"Dentelles...?" Amber squinted her eyes. "What's that?"

"That's French for 'laces'." Atticus said.

"Well, they're in a lace shop then." Amber then said.

"A lace shop?" Cherry pondered. "Why would they be there? I thought they were going to a school in Vienna."

"Sounds like we have a stop to make I know just the person to call." Atticus smirked as he brought out his cell phone and dialed down a number.

Amber held the device close. Cherry stood by as she knew where this was going and let Atticus do his thing.

"Hey, Bridget, I need a favor." Atticus said as he talked on his cell phone.

'Where are you?' Bridget asked on the other line.

"Paris, France," Atticus replied. "It's an emergency involving my little sister."

'Who kidnapped Darla?' Bridget asked firmly since Darla was family now and she was protective of her like she would be with Phineas, Ferb, and Candace.

Atticus began to explain what was going on and what the favor was. Bridget nodded and wrote everything down onto a notepad.

"Oh, and tell her that you want a red or yellow lace to match your red dress." Atticus said.

"No problem, Atticus, I've got this all under control, I am a mistress of disguise." Bridget smirked as she already had a plan in mind as she was eager to do anything to make the family happy.

"Great, thanks, Bridget." Atticus smiled.

"Any time, Atticus, any time." Bridget replied.

"Sometimes I love being a Fudo." Atticus smirked to Cherry.

"My sister could kick my butt if she wanted to." Cherry retorted about her special sister who was a lot like her family's equivalent to Bridget.

"Shouldn't we help look for the girls?" Patch asked.

"We'll do what we can, but we'll mostly leave this to Bridget." Atticus said.

Urchin soon frowned, he took the seashell locket and narrowed his eyes with hurt tears and threw it back into the ocean as he nearly gave up all about Darla and trying to find her.

At the same time, Darla's heart seemed to break as though she could sense Urchin's actions and feelings.

"Is everything alright?" Madeline whispered to Darla.

"He... He gave up..." Darla held her broken heart as she felt terribly sad now.

"Who did?" Madeline asked.

"Urchin..." Darla said before bowing her head and holding herself as she felt like she was going to cry. "He was my best friend..."

"Do not vorry, Darla, I know that they will find us." Madeline assured her.

"I hope so..." Darla said as she ran her fingers through her hair, but trying not to hit the hair clip because it was being used to track her down.

Darla thought back to her birthday when she got it.

"Happy Birthday, sweetie." Patrick smiled as he handed his adoptive daughter a gift.

"Thank you," Darla smiled back and then opened the present to see it was a new hair accessory. "Ooh, a hair clip!"

"Not just any hair clip," Patrick told her. "If you ever get lost or separated from any of us, all you have to do is click on the gemstone and we can find wherever you are with the device."

"Cool." Darla smiled.

Patrick and Darla then shared a hug as she wore the hair clip.

 

Darla tried to settle herself down as she did not like being here one bit. Madeline did her best to keep her cousin calm. Darla and Madeline shared a hug together. They both then held their necklaces, or at least Madeline held what was left of hers.

"What is that?" The black-haired girl asked.

"Maman's necklace..." Madeline replied before showing the bead of a lion. "It was Papa's first gift to her."

"Only one bead?" The black-haired girl asked.

This caused for Darla and Madeline to giggle a bit.

"Non, non..." Madeline shook her head. "It was a necklace, this is the last bead left."

"How sad..." The black-haired girl replied. "You had to sell the rest?"

"No, Madeline dropped them so the others would be able to follow where we are." Darla explained.

"Like Hansel and Gretel?" The black-haired girl asked.

"Exactamo," Madeline nodded. "A trail for the others to follow and find us."

"Who are these others?" The black-haired girl then asked.

"Mes ami: Our very good friends." Madeline smiled.

"You both are so clever and so lucky to have some to come look for you, "The black-haired girl smiled before coughing. "But Madeline, to leave your mother's beads, that must have been hard."

"That's why I kept the last one." Madeline replied as she handed the bead to her new friend.

The black-haired girl took the bead and examined it as it had a lion on it. "The lion... To make you strong?"

"Oui, and for hope that our friends and family will find us." Madeline nodded before taking the bead back.

"Yeah." Darla smiled.

"You are both lucky to be someone..." The black-haired girl replied. "There is no one to find me... No one to look for me..." she then coughed heavier than before.

"After our friends find us, we'll get a doctor to look at that cough of yours." Darla said.

"And we will be your friends for now," Madeline added as she put her arm around the black-haired girl. "You must always have 'ope."

"Yeah... Um... What was your name again?" Darla asked.

"Fifi." The black-haired girl smiled.

"You must always have hope, Fifi." Darla then smiled back.

They soon heard LaCroque and Henri coming back down. Non looked up as he saw the people he was working with. Even though he found the two weak compared to him.

"Why aren't you working?!" LaCroque shook her fist at the girls. 

Fifi giggled while coughing hoarsely.

"A giggle?" LaCroque sneered in her direction.

Non nodded, confirming her suspicion.

"Erm... A chuckle perhaps?" Henri shrugged.

"There will be no laughing here!" LaCroque scowled. "Laughter is banished! Smiling is banned! 'Appiness is... Is..."

"Vonportant?" Henri suggested.

"When I need your words, Henri, you will be invited to speak!" LaCroque scolded him.

Non cracked his knuckles as a warning to Henri. This seemed to make the girls giggle. Madame LaCroque then clipped her scissors as a warning to the girls. The girls then quickly went back to work so their hair wouldn't be cut to make lace. Darla did her best to stay quiet.

Meanwhile, back at the boarding school...

The front door was being knocked on.

"I'll get it, Mrs. Murphy!" Atticus called out as he came to the door and opened it to see someone he had been expecting. "Cous!"

"Hey, Atticus." Bridget smiled and hugged him right away.

"Hey, Bridget." Cherry greeted.

"Oh, hello, Cherry." Bridget smiled and handed a package to the perky goth from Teresa.

Cherry smiled and hugged the package.

"Hey." Urchin greeted.

"You must be Urchin." Bridget replied.

"That's me." Urchin nodded as he then bowed as was his nature from being raised by King Triton under the sea.

"I hear you're a merboy..." Bridget whispered to the blonde preteen boy.

"I sure am." Urchin whispered back.

"Nice specimen." Bridget commented.

"Oh, thank you..." Urchin chuckled.

"All right, here's a disguise I bought..." Bridget said to Atticus, taking out a prim and perfect lavender dress with white frills that came with a purple scarf, black boots, sunglasses, and white gloves. "I think it'll make me look like an aristocratic woman."

"Perfect." Atticus smiled.

"It's settled then." Bridget nodded back to her cousin with a smile back.

"Shall we go?" The girls asked.

"Hmm... How to get you out from Mrs. Murphy's..." Bridget pondered.

"May I help?" Pepito asked as he brought out a white mouse that was in a cage.

"That's right, isn't she afraid of mice?" Atticus asked.

"Oui, oui..." The girls remembered.

"It's a cruel trick..." Urchin said before smirking as his inner prankster was unleashed. "I like it."

"Then let's do it." Pepito said.

Urchin snickered as he went with Pepito. Mrs. Murphy was making something in the kitchen, completely unaware of what was going on with the children. The girls put on their coats and hats while Pepito and Urchin released the mouse.

"Go on, little guy." Urchin smiled.

The mouse squeaked and soon scurried across the kitchen floor. And where Mrs. Murphy got scared once she saw the mouse. Everyone then left the school as Mrs. Murphy was distracted.

"Shh!" Danielle shushed everyone. "We must be very quiet..."

"Agreed." Cherry nodded.

They then snuck out of the school and ran past the gate. 

Darla was about to eat her bread until she saw a mouse by her feet and then decided to give it some of her crumbs as it looked just as hungry as she and Madeline did.

"Merci." The mouse smiled.

Darla smiled back before looking to Fifi. "He seems close with you guys."

"He is our pet, but don't tell LaCroque." Fifi smiled back.

"Why would we tell LaCroque?" Madeline narrowed her eyes as she was very angry with the woman who held her captive. "She is a monster!"

"Yeah, don't worry, we won't tell LaCroque." Darla promised Fifi.

Fifi giggled as she felt happy for the first time in a long while with her new friends.

"Stop yapping!" Madame LaCroque scolded as she was eating an elegant meal with Henri and Non. "Don't you not want to eat your lovely lunch? Tres bein! It will be taken away!"

"We love stale bread, like no other." The girls recited against their wills.

"But at least we have each other." Madeline whispered to Fifi about her meal time prayer back in school.

"Indeed." Darla also whispered.

"This school of yours, did you have a pet?" Fifi asked Madeline.

"Oui... All of us had Genevieve..." Madeline sighed. "The best dog in Paris. If only I knew she were safe."

"She's with Maisy, she's in good paws." Dalra assured her cousin.

"I guess Maisy is just your pet then?" Fifi asked Darla.

"Yes..." Darla sighed softly. "My first pet... My best friend invited me to help her family move to a farm and their neighbors had kittens, so as a gift, they let me adopt one of them."

"Let me guess, Maisy was zhe lucky one?" Fifi smiled.

"Oh, yes..." Darla sighed with a smile back. "Amber is my best human friend, but if I had to have another best friend, it'd be Maisy..." she then sighed again. "And there's my Nana Charlotte... She's from my biological family and we're really close... I hope she's all right, I really miss her."

"I vonder how they're doing?" Madeline said.

Darla agreed before she shared more crumbs with the mouse.


	13. Chapter 13

Meanwhile at the Police Station...

The police chief let Charlotte and Miss Clavel into his office.

"Madams, the police artist." The police officer introduced Miss Clavel and Charlotte to an artist.

"Ah, please tell me about zhis suspect..." the artist smiled to the women politely as he held his sketchpad. "Zhis... Uncle Horst?"

Miss Clavel then explained from memory while Charlotte was trying to keep herself from crying at the idea of never seeing her granddaughter ever again. Miss Clavel chose her words and described Uncle Horst with care, but the artist was sketchy, with talent and flare. 

"Viola!" The artist then showed a sketch of the man in question, but with a fruit in front of his face like an infamous portrait.

"Uh, no, no, he had a brown mustache and he had a fancy black hat." Charlotte told him.

"And his hair was rather wavy and light..." Miss Clavel added in.

The artist then tried again and made a rather colorful Picasso sketch of 'Horst'. Charlotte groaned and buried her face in her hands as she was now rather annoyed.

"Oh, dear, I'm not sure if zhis is helping find our Madeline or Darla." Miss Clavel said.

At the train station...

Genevieve and Patch sniffed around, trying to get a scent of Madeline or Darla. Maisy followed the dogs with the kids not so far behind. Genevieve whimpered.

"She says this is where she last saw the girls with Maisy." Patch told the others.

"It's true." Maisy frowned.

"This stop can't be the last..." Pepito said. "Maybe there!"

"It is too late." Danielle pouted as she pointed to the clock. 

"We must get back before Miss Clavel and Darla's grandmere!" Chloe added.

"We'll continue the search tomorrow." Atticus said.

"If Darla is still alive then..." Urchin frowned.

"Of course she will." Amber assured him.

"I hope so..." Urchin sighed.

"You have nothing to worry about," Amber coaxed. "Darla's stronger than she looks and we have a plan this time."

"That's right." Urchin said.

"Come on, let's get you all back to school." Bridget told the little girls.

"Agreed." Cherry nodded.

They all then went back to the boarding school before Mrs. Murphy would notice they were gone. As they left, they just had to wonder how Darla and Madeline were doing now.

Meanwhile, back with Darla and Madeline...

It rang 7:00 which made the girls stand up and show LaCroque what they made for the day.

"I'll take zhat there is a lot more antiques to be done tomorrow." LaCroque said as she took the laces.

Fifi bowed her head as hers was slightly stained.

"Look what you've done!" LaCroque snapped at the black-haired girl. "All your coughing 'as turned the lace yellow! Ruined!"

"I'm s-sorry..." Fifi bowed her head in sad shame.

"From now on--" LaCroque sneered.

"Madame, please no!" Fifi begged. "I will be careful! I will not cough!" she then suddenly coughed heavily.

Darla was deeply concerned for Fifi's health.

"You vill vork only on... BLACK LACE!" LaCroque scowled at Fifi.

"Oh, no!" Fifi gasped.

"I vill not have my precious vhites discolored!" LaCroque snapped. "Remember zhat... All of you!"

This caused for the rest of the girls to gasp.

"What is wrong?" Madeline asked as Fifi began to cry.

"With no light, working on the black lace, it takes our eyes!" Fifi sniffled. 

"My grandmama went blind that way." A blonde girl added.

"Oh, dear..." Darla frowned.

"You cannot do that to Fifi!" Madeline glared at LaCroque. "It is 'eartless and cruel! She's sick!"

"I beg your pardon?" LaCroque glared back at her.

"Maddie..." Darla bit her lip nervously for her French cousin.

"She needs sunlight!" Madeline continued anyway. "She needs more food! She needs--"

"What you need is a lesson!" LaCroque scowled. "SILENCE!"

"Fifi needs to see a doctor!" Darla told her, not caring about LaCroque's scowl.

"That's it, you two are coming with me! Non, seize them!" LaCroque demanded.

Non reached out for the little girls and picked them up as LaCroque was leading them to a dungeon.

"Put us down, you big brute!" Darla glared.

LaCroque opened the dungeon door and Non then threw Darla and Madeline into the room.

"Ow!" Darla groaned.

"Spoiled brats have to learn the hard way!" LaCroque snapped as Non slammed the door to lock them in.

'If she thinks we're spoiled brats, she's sadly mistaken.' Darla thought to herself.

"You are zhe best teacher." Henri chuckled to LaCroque as he followed her.

Darla and Madeline sat on their beds which were made out of hay and looked a bit itchy.

"I don't see vhat is so funny..." Madeline pouted until she reached into her apron pocket and took out the last necklace bead and sighed to it. "Oh, Maman..." She then sniffled as she thought about her mother.

Darla began to comfort Madeline. The two hugged each other through the night. Darla then began to sing Tomorrow from Little Orphan Annie to help cheer up Madeline. The song didn't seem to help.

'I sure wish there was something I could do.' Darla thought to herself.

The girls stared out the tiny barred window as they couldn't sleep in this awful place.

"Here we sit, so cold and hungry, feeling lost and far away, Happiness is just a memory, a patch of sun from yesterday, Where is the hope that we once knew, my dreams have vanished it is true, When will the sun come shining through, where is the hope that we once knew?" Darla and Madeline sang.

A fly flew into the dungeon, only to get trapped into the web above the water pitcher. 

"Friends would call us bravest lion~," Madeline sang as she took out the bead from her pocket. "I once had that kind of roar, If I reach inside for courage, Perhaps I can be strong once more~"

"We'll find the hope that we once knew and we will make my dreams come true~" Darla sang. "We'll see the sun come shining through, full of the hope that we once knew~" She then freed the fly and allowed it to go without having to be eaten by the spider.

Darla and Madeline soon felt much better and more inspired as they felt like they heard an angelic chorus in their ears. "Fifi!" they both called out and knelt on the hay bed.

Madeline tried to push through the stone walls, but took out a pick to weaken the stones and let it out. "Fifi, are you there?" she then asked before she removed the stone to see the black-haired girl and the other girls who seemed to had been listening on the other side for moral support.

"Madeline, Darla, we were worried; are you both alright?" Fifi asked.

"Mas oui, Fifi!" Madeline confirmed. 

"Good news, girls," Darla informed as she could see the girls in their own room as they were wide awake. "We're going to escape."

"Ah, that is not so easy," Fifi told her before coughing even more. "I tried. As punishment, LaCroque cut off my hair to make black lace."

"Oh, dear..." Darla frowned. "Why is she so horrible?"

"They say she was a cabaret star once," Fifi replied. "Then... Something happened."

"What happened?" Madeline asked.

"There was one fatal night, her dress ripped apart which made the people laugh at her and someone kicked her off the stage, but I was sure it was an accident," Fifi informed. "Her fame ended and she could no longer preform because she felt so humiliated."

"Oh, my..." Darla frowned.

"She had no money, so she sold her long hair to make lace," Fifi continued. "Now she runs the factory..." she then let out yet another sickly cough. "And she will cut off your hair like mine if you make trouble!"

"It will grow back!" Madeline glared in determination. "I will take the chance. We will find a way out!"

"You two are not scared?" Fifi asked.

"Nope." Darla shook her head.

"I am angry!" Madeline added. 

"Your families must be worried sick." Darla said to Fifi and the other girls.

"Oui." Madeline nodded.

"Well, see, we have no family," Fifi replied. "None of us. LaCroque and Henri lied to the courts. They say they will take care of us, then treat us like this!"

"Don't worry, Fifi, we can look out for each other." Darla smiled.

"Like real friends?" Fifi asked.

"Better... Like family." Darla replied which made Fifi smile back.

"Family? You really think so?" Fifi soon became hopeful.

"We know so." Madeline smiled as she extended her hand out to Fifi.

Fifi smiled back as she held out Madeline's hand. There was then a squeaking heard. The mouse jumped out and came onto Fifi and Madeline's hands and bowed as he also trusted the girls which made them all laugh.

"By the way, what is your name?" Darla asked the mouse.

"They call me Mortimer." The mouse squeaked in a Parisian accent.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mortimer," Darla smiled. "By any chance, do you know Jerry?"

"I believe I've heard of him, is he brown?" Mortimer replied.

Darla smiled and nodded to that. 

"He knows that cat Tom!" Mortimer laughed in amusement. "I have a friend in Italy who met them once and tried to get them to be friends."

"Nice." Darla smiled.

"It worked a little bit." Mortimer shrugged.

"Yeah, they're more or less friends now," Darla told the French mouse. "I think Patch said that their new friends Puggsy and Frankie showed them the light."

"And such a good thing." Mortimer smiled.

"It sure is." Darla smiled back. She then scooped up Mortimer and nuzzled against him with LaCroque not watching.

Mortimer nuzzled her back with a smile.

Back at the boarding school, it was beginning to rain as the weather seemed to understand how the girls were feeling about not having Madeline around as Amber was miserable without Darla since they were such best friends ever since her first day of school. The girls were brushing their hair as they were in their nightgowns and getting ready for bed, trying to ignore the rather scary storm.

"I hope the girls are alright." Amber frowned.

"Do not lose 'eart, mon petite~" Miss Clavel soothed her girls. "We will find our Madeline and Darla."

"Vhere could zhey be?" Chloe pouted. 

"I 'ope zhey are not lonely." Yvette added.

"Or cold." Amber added.

"Or 'ungry..." Danielle pouted as she looked out the window as lightning flashed and thunder rumbled.

"Oh, come now, sugar lumps," Charlotte comforted. "They know we love them."

"Zhat is right." Miss Clavel nodded.

"And tomorrow, we'll be looking for them again," Charlotte continued. "And we won't give up?"

"'Til we find them!" The other girls chanted back.

"Exactly," Miss Clavel smiled before she went to close the doors. "Bon nuit, mes enfants~"

"If we can get any sleep." Amber sighed.

The lights were turned out and everyone tried to get some sleep.

Amber sighed as she turned over in her bed. "I hope you're okay, Darla... You're my best friend forever..." she whispered sadly. She soon closed her eyes to sleep.

Darla and Madeline were curled up together in LaCroque's dungeon. Mortimer decided to stay with them for the night.


	14. Chapter 14

The next day soon came. It was a beautiful day that came after the night of rain. Miss Clavel and Charlotte walked out of the boarding school to get some work done to find Madeline and Darla. Pepito snuck out from the bushes as he saw the women leaving to the police station. Urchin joined him. Miss Clavel and Charlotte left the house just the same as before. Pepito carried his cage with Urchin as they snuck into the boarding school so they could scare their temporary caretaker so they could sneak out to help find Darla and Madeline again. Unfortunately, they didn't count on Pepito's cat. The mouse yelped from the sight of the cat and fainted inside of his cage.

"Carumba!" Pepito yelped. "She's borrowed my mother's cat!"

"What do we do now?" Amber frowned.

"Looks like we might need to scare this feline." Urchin said as Atticus came over.

"Please, allow me." Atticus volunteered.

"Oh, by all means." Urchin smiled to the older boy.

Atticus soon used The Stare on the cat to scare it away. The cat soon yelped through mews and ran away.

Atticus then smirked as that worked. "Good kitty~"

"Now we can send in our little mouse." Urchin smiled.

Pepito opened his cage and set it down on the floor.

"Mousey... Mousey..." Atticus knelt by the cage. "Cheese..."

"WHERE?!" The mouse suddenly woke up.

"In the kitchen." Amber smiled.

The mouse soon scampered out of the cage and ran into the kitchen. Miss Murphy soon shrieked and panicked at the sight of the mouse.

"Now?" Urchin asked.

"Now." Pepito nodded.

Back in the workshop, Madeline and Darla were working together to make special knots in the laces and Fifi nodded to them to show her approval of this and where one of the other girls nodded to Fifi. LaCroque and Henri then walked by which made the girls get to work so the adults wouldn't suspect anything. Non seemed to have a suspicion about the girls.

LaCroque inspected the girls and swiped one lace from a blonde girl with glasses. Henri looked with her as they noticed something strange about the lace. Non saw this as well and saw what each lace spelled. Henri spotted what the lace spelled out.

"I can read!" LaCroque scoffed at him. "Come up here, all of you!"

"Yes, ma'am." Darla said.

"Aha!" LaCroque smirked as she showed the lace which spelled out cries for help from the girls so they would have a way out of here and she mocked the girls for their efforts to become free at last like they deserved to be instead of trapped in here. "'Elp, I am a prisoner in a lace factory', you vill stand 'ere all day, all night, all year, 'til I find out who is responsible for zhis sackerage!"

Non nodded with a firm look.

"Perhaps a spool and thread, ma'am?" Darla suggested.

This made the girls giggle.

"You zhink this is a 'oliday?!" LaCroque glared before she took out her scissors. "Get back to your bobbins, brats!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am." Darla gulped.

The girls soon rushed back to their tables, but Madeline stayed put. Henri and LaCroque were on their way up the stairs and Madeline snuck a piece of cheese and hid it in her apron before going back with Darla and the others. Non didn't understand why she did that so just decided to not do anything about it.

Madeline came back to the others. "Darla, I 'ave a plan." she then told her cousin.

"I had a feeling you did." Darla whispered.

Madeline did her plan with cheese involved while the laces were being weaved.

Mortimer sniffed the cheese and soon scampered out. "Ah, zhere is nozhing like fromage~" He soon went straight to the laces.

"Oh, no!" The blonde girl with glasses cried out. "Madame LaCroque, zhe zhread is broken!"

LaCroque picked up the lace and it withered in her grip which made her growl out of frustration. Mortimer did the same thing to the next lace. Fifi, Darla, and Madeline quietly giggled to this.

"Ooh, la la, monsignors, my zhread is broken too!" A brown-haired girl called out.

Henri and Non soon came to the girl to see her broken thread. Madeline hid a giggle as her plan was working like a charm. Mortimer soon did the same to her lace.

"Uh-oh~" Darla and Madeline giggled innocently.

LaCroque turned to the girls, looking rather annoyed.

"Mine too!" A girl with short curly hair called out.

"STOP!" LaCroque snapped as she finally had enough. "Vhat is going on?" she then glared at Darla and Madeline. "Vell...?"

"Is there a problem?" Darla asked.

"Merci beaucop, girls." Mortimer said sluggishly before going back into his hole as he was now full.

Meanwhile with the others...

They were at the train station with Maisy and Genevieve along with Patch. 

"We're coming, Darla." Maisy said as soon as she came out with the dogs.

Genevieve and Patch soon began to sniff out for Darla and Madeline's scents until they ran into a familiar looking bead.

"We found something!" Patch smiled.

"What is it?" Pepito asked.

"A clue?" Chloe asked.

"A heent?" Danielle added.

"A lead?" Nicole even asked.

"A scent?" Urchin asked the dogs.

"A bead and a familiar one at that." Patch said.

"That looks like Madeline's necklace bead." Amber pointed out.

"She must have left it as a trail for us to follow." Maisy said.

Genevieve came up to a puddle of water from last night's storm before whimpering.

"Don't tell me the rain washed away the trail!" Urchin frowned as he stood with Pepito.

"No, it couldn't have." Atticus said.

Genevieve soon ran up the stairs which prompted everyone to follow her. There were luckily more beads shown and all they had to do was follow them. 

"There we go, that's our trail!" Cherry told the girls.

"Follow the trail!" Atticus smiled.

They soon followed the trail of the beads that had animal symbols from Madeline's mother's necklace.

A couple of birds came up to one bead and one even pecked at it.

"Shoo!" Maisy zipped in to scare away the birds so they wouldn't take the bead away and where the birds did instantly fly away. 

Cherry soon practiced a magic stunt she saw in a movie once and grabbed one bird before it flew away.

"Nice." Atticus said.

Cherry smiled innocently.

"You don't kill them anymore." Atticus smiled back.

Cherry soon threw out the bird and it flew off into the sky.

They all continued to follow the beads, but there weren't anymore seen as they came into an alley.

"What the?" Urchin asked out of confusion.

"Now where do we go?" Patch pouted.

"We start looking for them by the tracking device, but first, we start looking for the rest of the beads." Amber said.

Atticus took out the device for when the time would be right.

There wasn't much luck in finding the other beads until Amber looked to see three young boys playing with them and using them as marbles. 

"Ooh, la la, marbles!" Nicole beamed.

"Now is not the time for marbles." Cherry said.

"But look!" Nicole pointed out before taking one bead to show her. "Exactly like--"

"Hey! What are you doing?" One boy glared as he came up to her to take the bead back. "We found them!"

"Where did you find them?" Atticus asked.

"Over there!" The boy pointed afar from the distance.

Nicole reached into her pocket and took out her prized bag of actual marbles. "Trade?" she then offered.

"Nicole, are you sure?" Cherry asked.

"I must... For Madeline and Darla..." Nicole sighed as she traded marbles with the boy in exchange for the necklace beads.

"Alright, now we can use the tracking device," Atticus said. He then pulled out the antennae and turned on the device and there was a beeping to show where Darla's exact location was. "Alright, we've got her signal." He smiled.

They then followed after Atticus to track down Madeline and Darla even further.


	15. Chapter 15

At the lace store, Non was watching the girls while LaCroque and Henri were upstairs with a customer who was Bridget in her disguise. 

"The very finest handiwork," LaCroque smiled as she held out one piece of lace out to the young woman. "La creme de la creme, an antique belonging to a royal family fallen upon 'ard times."

Bridget soon reached out for the lace only for it to be retracted from her and she had a feeling why it was.

"So very fragile." LaCroque continued while Bridget stood there, but didn't say anything. 

"Also, I believe you 'ave somezhing very special." Henri prompted LaCroque while acting.

LaCroque soon made Bridget wait for a little while as she brought out a briefcase. "Black Lace." she then showed.

Bridget gasped slightly.

"Made from 'uman 'air." LaCroque smiled proudly.

'I can't wait to expose these two.' Bridget thought to herself.

"Extremely rare!" Henri smiled to Bridget which annoyed LaCroque slightly, but she said nothing to avoid suspicion. "Extremely super duper!"

Bridget knew exactly what to do next.

"It's very magnifique," she then said as she imitated her best French accent through her English accent, of course inherited from Lawrence's side of the family. "But I have a red swede dress with hints of golden... Perhaps--"

"Lace made from red and blonde 'air?" LaCroque replied. "I zhink zhat is possible, but treschere, very expensive..."

"Oh, but of course." Bridget said in her French accent as she gave her some coins.

LaCroque and Henri smirked at the coins, but LaCroque especially did since she collected them from the young woman who was actually a spy.

"Vhen vill zhey be ready?" Bridget asked in her French accent.

"Your deposit is accepted," LaCroque replied. "I vill make discreet inequalities to see if zhe masterpiece can be obtained. Come back in a few days."

Henri then got the door for Bridget and bowed to her as she would be on her way out. After she left, Henri soon closed the door. 

"Zhere's more vhere zhis came from," LaCroque commented as she held the honey in her hand. "But next time, don't overact!"

Henri pouted to her and folded his arms.

Meanwhile with Darla and the girls while Non was asleep....

Madeline and Darla looked for ways to escape.

"There, under the window!" Madeline pointed out. 

The girls soon stood on each other's shoulders to reach the window.

"You must hold steady." Darla said.

"We will try..." An auburn girl struggled.

Fifi was behind Darla and Madeline and soon helped them to the top before she would go with them.

'Almost there.' Darla thought to herself.

Darla and Madeline soon both reached the window.

"Fifi, we need you!" Madeline called to the black-haired girl.

"I don't like heights." Fifi whimpered.

"Hurry! It isn't so difficult." Darla said.

Fifi soon mustered up all of her courage and climbed over the other girls to help. 

"Here, take my hand." Darla said.

Fifi was about to, but she then unfortunately coughed which made all of the girls fall on top of each other. Non looked like he was going to wake up only to go back to sleep.

"Phew!" Darla wiped her forehead in relief that Non didn't wake up from that.

"I am sorry." Fifi hung her head to the others as she felt she had failed them. 

"It's okay, we'll try again." Darla said.

"It is all right," Madeline put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Darla is right, we will do it again."

"Non!" A girl disagreed. "It is not going to work, we are not big."

"Or strong!" Another girl added. 

The other girls then shook their heads without any hope. Darla knew that these girls needed hope.

"Now, we must be brave!" Madeline told the others.

"But we are so small." Fifi reminded her.

"Being small never stopped me," Darla replied. "Besides, we don't have to be small, right, Madeline?"

"Right, Darla!" Madeline agreed. 

The two girls were now on a table.

"One ant, a lone ant, can't budge a rock~" Darla sang. "But when she joins with other ants, the rock moves down the block~" 

"So small, but so spunky, Ants push ten times their weight when they become a mighty troop, Together, they are great~" Darla sang.

"One bird, a lone bird, sings softly in the morn~" Madeline sang with her cousin. "But when she sings with other birds, a symphony is born!~"

"A loud beautiful chorus is echoed from a cloud~" Darla sang.

"Echos from a cloud~" The other girls chorused.

"For each of us are tiny birds, Together, we are loud~" Madeline and Darla sang.

"We are loud~" The other girls chorused.

"Together we are big, Together we are strong~" Madeline and Darla sang. "Together we most certainly belong~"

"Just think about what we can do if we work as a team~" Darla sang. 

"Together, yes, will set us free, that is our dream~" The other girls chorused.

"One hand alone hand, too short to reach up high~" Madeline sang.

"Together, it is possible to reach the sky~" The other girls sang as they helped Madeline and Darla reach the window. "Viola, we are a tower, never will we stop up to the tower up to the top~"

"Together, we will get to the top!~" Darla beamed.

They kept singing as they towered again. Madeline and Darla reached the window sills, but unfortunately, they heard someone coming down the stairs and it was LaCroque! Non soon got up and to the girls surprise he helped them.

"Huh?" Darla was the most confused and surprised based on what Atticus told her about him.

"Go." Non spoke.

"Non, you're helping us?" Darla asked.

"Just go!" Non urged them as he opened the window for them.

"Traitor!" LaCroque glared..

The girls almost fell from fear of LaCroque, but Non caught them and helped them out the window to escape.

"Thank you, Non, but why did you help us?" Darla asked. "You're Superman's enemy, and Atticus said--"

"I only fought Kal-El because Zod told me what to do, but when I heard you girls sing; I knew that I had to stop being evil." Non said.

Darla smiled as she felt touched that her song helped reform him.

"Now go, your nightmares are over." Non smiled back.

"Thank you." Darla smiled.

Non smiled back as he rushed the girls out.

"YOU LET ZHE BRATS GET AVAY?!" LaCroque snapped at Non. "YOU ARE VORSE ZHAN HENRI!"

"At least I have a heart!" Non glared.

LaCroque glared back.

Madeline and Darla helped their friends out once they came out the window and were now on the streets. They soon saw Henri making off with their luggage.

"I wonder where Henri is going?" Darla wondered as she helped Fifi out as she coughed slightly.

"Probably try to sell our things." Madeline said.

Darla narrowed her eyes with Madeline about Henri. 

Henri passed a boy who wanted money to buy food, but he just dismissed him as if he were nothing. Unfortunately for Henri, the police Miss Clavel and Charlotte were driving by.

"I miss my little honey pie..." Charlotte sniffled about Darla. "I remember when I held the first time when she was a baby..." Both her and Miss Clavel soon noticed Henri.

"Charlotte, did you see zhat?" Miss Clavel asked.

"Indeed I did..." Charlotte nodded to the nun schoolteacher. "He looks so different though."

The police car soon stopped and the siren blared as it backed up toward Henri as he was on the sidewalk and where he soon rushed away from the car. He had been spotted and he ran down the street only for the police car to chase after him. The homeless boy from before saw Henri running from the police, so he extended his leg to make the man trip and get caught and which was a good thing to do. 

"That's him!" Charlotte demanded as she came out of the police car with the officers and Miss Clavel. "That's the man who took my golden-haired angel baby!" 

"Oui..." Miss Clavel glared in agreement. "Uncle Horst from Vienna."

"But he seems different now." Charlotte said.

"Moi? I am Henri... I am French..." Henri replied innocently.

"Why were you running away?" Charlotte demanded.

"I vas valking briskly... Zhat is no crime..." Henri shrugged. "Zhis is just mistaken identity!"

"And your luggage?" Charlotte glared.

"Yes, it seems strangely familiar." Miss Clavel added.

One of the luggage had a doll in it. The officer next to Miss Clavel soon took out the doll with a firm glare on his face.

'This man is in trouble now.' Charlotte thought to herself.

"Do you always play with little dollies in a dress?" The officer mocked Henri as he took out the baby doll from the luggage.

The homeless boy quietly chuckled as he overheard that.

"Tell us vhere Darlene and Madeline are!" Miss Clavel told Henri firmly.

"If you do not, it will go very 'ard on you." The officer added just as sharp.

"So you better tell us now!" Charlotte added with a glare.

Henri folded his arms and turned away from them with a huff.

"If he is silent, how do we find zhe girls?" Miss Clavel asked the officer.

"I think I see them." Charlotte said.

Henri looked over in slight surprise.

Darla kicked over a pebble until she looked afar and gasped with a smile before running over. "NANA!!!!"

Charlotte then turned around and bent down slightly to hug her granddaughter. Miss Clavel soon saw Madeline along with many other girls.

"Oh, Madeline, my angel!" Miss Clavel beamed before she hugged Madeline almost like a mother would.

Madeline smiled brightly and hugged Miss Clavel right back.

"We were being held captive by LaCroque." Darla said.

"LaCroque?" Charlotte asked. "You mean that cabaret dancer?" 

Darla nodded. "She threatened to cut our hair to make lace for her factory."

"And I know that she was going to do it." Bridget said as she came over after removing her wig.

"You!" LaCroque snapped.

"No, madame, you--" Bridget glared before showing a badge. "Are under arrest."

Non had brought LaCroque out with her hands behind her back.

"Non!" Charlotte gasped.

"It's okay, Nana Lottie, it's okay," Darla told her. "He's good now."

"Wait, what?" Charlotte asked.

"I'll let him explain later." Darla replied.

The others soon all came together and it was a happy moment for them, except for Henri and LaCroque.

"Oh, Darla..." Atticus smiled as he hugged his little sister before glaring. "Whatever they did to you, I promise they will pay for hurting my little sister," He soon saw Non and thought he was going to attack. "YOU!"

"Atticus, wait!" Darla tried to stop him. "He's reformed to good!"

"Wait, what?" Atticus asked as he had trouble lifting Non due to his size.

"It's true." Non said down to Atticus.

Atticus soon let go and folded his arms. "How?" he then demanded. "You work for General Zod!"

"That's because I usually needed someone to tell me what to do." Non said.

Atticus rolled his eyes.

"Your little sister helped me see the light though..." Non smiled as he put his arm around Darla in a friendly manner. "Plus, she sings like an angel."

"Yeah.... I know...." Urchin blushed as he came with the eleven little girls from boarding school, Genevieve, Maisy, and Pepito.

Patch was about to bite Non, but soon, smelled no evil on him. "He's telling the truth." he then told Atticus.

"This is incredible..." Atticus felt amazed that Non had turned from bad to good.

"Kal-El will definitely be surprised." Non said.

"Oh, I know he will." Atticus agreed.

"He's much bigger than I thought he'd be." Cherry said.

Non soon reached out and ruffled up her hair.

"I don't like being touched." Cherry said.

"Sorry about that, kiddo." Non chuckled.

Cherry patted her hair down with a slight glare.

"Oh, Darla, I'm just so glad you're safe..." Urchin said as he hugged Darla instead of calling her Goldilocks like he usually did.

"I'm glad too." Darla smiled.

Urchin smiled to Darla before giving her a kiss on the lips. Darla's eyes widened and she turned bright red from blushing from the kiss.

"Aw!" The girls smiled.

Darla smiled sheepishly. "Hey, you called me Darla."

"That's your name, isn't it?" Urchin smirked.

"Yeah, but you usually call me 'Goldilocks'." Darla said.

Urchin smirked. "Fine... Goldilocks."

Darla giggled and hugged him. "I've missed you so much!"

"Oui, but we were brave because we have friends all around us." Madeline smiled to her biological cousin.

"That's right." Darla smiled.

Chloe smiled as she then came over to Madeline and handed her all of her necklace beads. Maisy was happy about this.

"Maman's beads!" Madeline smiled to her friends.

"All of them." Nicole nodded.

"Each and every one!" Madeline added as she showed her new friends.

"I'm happy for that." Darla smiled.

Fifi and the other girls soon joined into a group hug with Darla and Madeline.

"You were right, Miss Clavel," Madeline smiled to the woman. "Families come in all shapes and sizes and now, I want to go home."

"Oui, let's go home!" Genevieve arfed in agreement. "That sounds nice."

"Yes, home sounds good." Charlotte fullheartedily agreed.

"I also believe a reward is in order for Darla and Madeline leading us to Henri and LaCroque." Bridget smiled.

"Agreed." Atticus added.

"We'll work something out tomorrow, I'll call some people." Bridget smiled.

"Thanks, Bridget." Darla smiled back.

"No problem, Darla." Bridget nodded back.


	16. Chapter 16

Soon enough, it was getting after dark and that meant it was time for bed.

"Oh, my sweet girl..." Charlotte hugged her granddaughter. "I'm so glad you're safe and sound."

"I know, Nana Lottie." Darla smiled.

"And it was nice of Non to help you girls." Charlotte smiled.

"I know, it was a big surprise for us..." Darla nodded. "I don't know what we'd do if he hadn't decided to help."

"Same here." Maisy said.

Charlotte kissed Darla's forehead and tucked her in for the night before going with Miss Clavel. Darla slept peacefully that night. It was a wonderful night for everybody and tomorrow was going to be even better. Amber smiled as she saw her best friend fast asleep which helped her sleep much better that night.

The next day was both a happy day, but a confusing day as Non was nowhere to be seen except a note from Sombra. Everyone called out for Non only to be unable to see him anywhere.

"There's a note." Cherry said before she took it and her face paled once she saw who it was from.

"If you are wondering where Non is; I sent him back into the Phantom Zone - From Sombra." The note said.

"You okay, Cherry?" Atticus asked.

Cherry gulped and showed the note. "You got a letter from your dear old Uncle Sombra."

"I bet it comes with bad news." Atticus said.

Cherry handed him the letter and held her head. "I need to lie down..."

Atticus soon read the note and where he was right as this was bad news.

"I need to lie down now..." Cherry said since she was deathly afraid of Sombra. As she lied down, a celebration was being held.

"Poor Cherry..." Atticus sighed before he covered his best friend with a blanket and gave her a pillow so she would feel comfortable and where she was indeed comfortable with both the blanket and pillow.

"You're such a good friend." Darla smiled up to her big brother.

"I know." Atticus smiled back.

Cherry shivered and whimpered about Sombra as the others went to the ceremony without her. She soon stopped shivering as her grandmother soon arrived in her dream. "Grandma..."

"Cherry, my dear, are you all right?" Mally comforted.

"King Sombra..." Cherry uttered out.

"Well, don't worry; he only appears to cause a little chaos since Earth isn't someplace he's interested in ruling." Mally said.

"But he's taken Non..." Cherry replied. "At least I'll have some rest before the next adventure... Whatever that might be."

"Non will be back, but will be acting like a villain until Atticus's son appears to save his beloved." Mally said.

"Oh, yeah... That kid... Atiko?" Cherry asked.

"Akito." Mally corrected.

"Whatever, it's a weird name..." Cherry shrugged.

"Anyway, you all will see Non again." Mally said.

Cherry sighed about that. "Yes, Grandma..."

"Anyway, the celebration is starting." Mally said.

"I know..." Cherry replied.

"Aren't you gonna go?" Mally asked.

"Why? I didn't do anything..." Cherry shrugged.

"It's polite to attend a celebration." Mally said.

"Yes, Grandma..." Cherry sighed as she then helped herself out of bed.

Mally soon used her magic to give Cherry a dress to wear.

Cherry just knew that she would have to wear a dress. She then looked in the mirror and flinched at the pink color. "Um, do you have anything... Less pink?"

Mally then made a red and white dress with a small smirk.'

"Very funny..." Cherry narrowed her eyes at her grandmother.

"All right, I'm sorry." Mally laughed and then made the dress blue which was Cherry's favorite color.

"Much better." Cherry said.

Mally patted her granddaughter on the head and let her go. Cherry then collected her purse and went out to the celebration and where everyone was there. 

The sweatshop girls were all cleaned up and dressed in better clothes as they were standing with Darla and Madeline as Lord Cucuface was next to them. Even the Pound Puppies and Kennel Kittens were there. 

"It was so lovely to meet you, darlings, we must do it again someday." Mewsette smiled to their American counterparts.

"We sure will." Maisy said.

Darla and Madeline playfully held out the scissors to their sweatshop friends as it made them giggle and they cut the ceremonial ribbon.

"Where did they get those scissors?" Maisy asked.

"They were given from Lord Cucuface, it's part of the ceremony." Patch told her as they watched.

Speaking of Lord Cucuface, he proudly stepped forward to the crowd. "Madams, monsieurs, mes enfants, and cheins with chats!" he then smiled to everyone, including the cats and dogs. "I am proud to announce that our new city School for Girls is funded so generously by our very own Madeline and Darla, officially open!"

Darla was happy about this. The crowd cheered and was in awe of Darla and Madeline's generosity that a purple gem symbol like Rarity's Element of Harmony seemed to glow over Darla and Madeline to show their proud sacrifice.

"What was that?" Maisy asked.

"You saw that too?" Patch asked. "I've been noticing it lately when the others have been showing signs of everyone's Elements of Harmony. It's like a reward from Equestria somehow."

"Hmm... Maybe it's Equestria's magic doing its work." Maisy said.

"Sounds logical to me." Patch agreed.

"We have a lot to learn about this Equestria." Lucky whispered to Cookie as she then nodded to him.

"And may I say, they're top proper girls, the very best!" Lord Cucuface continued.

The girls then curtsied in response.

'This is the best day ever.' Maisy thought to herself.

"Your parents would be so proud, honey lamb." Charlotte hugged Darla as balloons were released into the sky.

"I know that they would." Darla smiled.

Pepito soon surprised Nicole with her bag of marbles.

"Merci, Gracias, Pepito." Nicole smiled in thanks.

'Aw!' Mewsette thought to herself.

Fifi soon walked over and hugged Darla and Madeline which made them of course, hug her back. "Merci, beaucop, mes ami," she smiled to both girls. "I am not coughing anymore at last. Dr. Cohn has made me better."

"That's great." Darla smiled back.

"Fifi is my star patient." Dr. Cohn smiled proudly.

"You will visit often?" Fifi asked Darla and Madeline hopefully.

"Of course." Darla smiled.

"We have sister schools!" Madeline added.

"I'm very impressed you girls chose to donate your reward money for a new school." Miss Clavel smiled to Darla and Madeline. 

"It is what our mothers would wish," Madeline replied as she hugged the beads on her new necklace. "To share with family."

"And we are so lucky," Darla added. "Our family is so very big!"

"Indeed it is." Charlotte smiled.

"And so are your hearts, mon petites." Miss Clavel added.

Nothing could possibly have been able to ruin that moment, but there was one thing. Cherry sighed as she joined the others, still a little shook up from King Sombra's note about Non and where they were now leaving for home. 

"This was a lot of fun, Madeline, even better than the first adventure." Amber smiled.

"Yes, a lot of fun." Darla agreed with her best friend.

"'Ave a safe journey home." Madeline smiled back as she hugged the both of them.

"We will." Darla smiled.

Madeline then gave them petite French pink flowers known as peonies.

"They're beautiful." Amber smiled.

"They are called peonies." Madeline smiled back.

"Oh, thank you, Madeline." Darla beamed to her biological cousin.

They soon got on their plane. Everyone waved as they were on their way out of Paris. And where they saw Madeline and the girls waving goodbye to them.

"My own cousin..." Darla whispered to herself.

The End


End file.
